1 of 2 Christmas Eve caravan hikes with a banner saying “Poverty Exodus” in Spanish Photo: EPA Christmas Eve caravan hikes with a banner saying “Poverty Exodus” in Spanish Photo: EPA
A large caravan of migrants from Central and South America left Mexico for the border with the United States.
Up to 8,000 people of all ages, mostly from Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico, take part in the procession carrying a banner reading “Exodus of Poverty”.
According to the American government, there were more than 200,000 migrants in September of this year alone.
The Christmas Eve caravan left the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, near the country's southern border with Guatemala.
A Honduran migrant who joined the procession said he was fleeing a criminal gang that threatened to kill him.
“I was scared and decided to come to Mexico hoping to go to the United States,” José Santos told Portal.
2 of 2 Migrants walk as they leave Tapachula in a caravan to try to reach the US border Photo: Portal Migrants walk as they leave Tapachula in a caravan to try to reach the US border Reaching the border Photo: Portal
On Friday (December 22), Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he wanted to work with the US again to address concerns about migration.
The Mexican head of state is expected to meet with the US Secretary of State this Wednesday (December 27).
The White House said in a statement that Blinken would discuss “unprecedented irregular migration” in the region and identify ways for the two countries to “address border security challenges.”