A group of around 350 Central American migrants broke the locks on a gate at the Guatemala-Mexico border, forcing their way into Mexico to join a larger caravan of 2,000 or so migrants headed towards the United States, AP reports.
According to the National Immigration Institute, the migrants were acting in a “hostile” and ” aggressive” manner – and said that they were attacking local police in the Mexican village of Metapa near the city of Tapachula.
The incident echoed a similar confrontation on the same border bridge between Mexico and Guatemala last year.
Several groups of migrants in the southern border state of Chipas have expressed frustration at Mexico’s cold attitude towards them, as they have been slowed or stopped during their northbound journey, according to AP.
A group of several hundred Cuban, African and Central American migrants have been waiting at the immigration offices in Tapachula for documents that would allow them to travel to the U.S. border, where most plan to request asylum.
Some members of that group have scuffled with immigration authorities and broken windows at the offices in recent days, accusing officials of making them wait too long for papers. –AP
One group of Central American and Cuban migrants estimated at 2,500 strong have been stuck for at least a week in the Chipas town of Mapastepec, north-west of Tapachula.
This article appeared at ZeroHedge.com at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-13/hostile-and-aggressive-migrants-break-through-border-southern-mexico-join-us-bound