Monday, April 22, 2019

Frustration grows among migrants in Mexico as support fades

The outpouring of aid that once greeted Central American migrants as they trekked in caravans through southern Mexico has been drying up.

Hungrier, advancing slowly or not at all, and hounded by unhelpful local officials, frustration is growing among the 5,000 to 8,000 migrants in the southern state of Chiapas.

Many migrants are collecting mangos and fruits from trees along the route and sharing food among themselves.

Heyman Vázquez, a parish priest in Huixtla, a community along the caravan's route, said local support for the Central American migrants has dried up because of an anti-migrant discourse that blames them for crime and insecurity.

Oscar Pérez, who sells cooked pork in Ulapa, a village along the way, said people have become tired of supporting the migrants because of reports that "They've become aggressive." He acknowledged that he doesn't know of anyone who has been attacked by a migrant.

The frustration felt by the migrants is affecting Geovani Villanueva, who has spent 25 days along with several hundred other migrants at a sports complex in Mapastepec waiting for a permit that would let him legally and safely travel north with his wife, two small children and four other relatives.

In April, President Donald Trump threatened to close the U.S.-Mexico border before changing course and threatening tariffs on automobiles produced in Mexico if that country does not stop the flow of Central American migrants.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/frustration-grows-among-migrants-mexico-support-fades-040120537.html

No comments: