The second immigrant caravan of Honduran nationals in 2018 left today from the northern city of San Pedro Sula on their journey to the United States. Before dawn, people of all ages, men, women and children began a journey in order to flee poverty, lack of employment and prevailing violence in Honduras.
Honduran nationals from all parts of the country gathered in the San Pedro Sula Main Bus Terminal, where they began a walking trek towards Tapachula, Mexico. Their purpose is to seek asylum and permission to stay and work there; however, others will attempt to cross the border illegally into the United States.
While speaking with Noti Bomba, an immigrant making the journey said, “We (my wife and children) made the decision to leave Honduras for a better future. We leave on this journey with strength to reach our goal and to get a humanitarian visa in Mexico. Perhaps we will ask for asylum in Mexico.” When the Noti Bomba team asked him why he is leaving Honduras, he added, “I made my decision for them and I think it will not be easy, but God will give me strength and will open doors on the road ahead.”
A second man, resting while the Noti Bomba team interviewed him, said that “in this country there is no opportunity. Everything is expensive, there are no work opportunities, we have high levels of violence and this government wants to keep power by force. Everything will get worse, so we decided to leave.”
“We are all afraid, but what we are doing in Honduras is enduring hunger. It is better to take a risk to see a better future for our families,” the man added.
The lines of immigrants are endless. Many that join the caravan are desperate to leave the country, not because they want to, but because of the lack of opportunities and their hope and desire for better living conditions.
Bartolo Fuentes, one of the persons accompanying this caravan, confirmed in the early hours of Saturday, October 13, 2018 that the expedition to the United States is made up of at least 1,300 people. During the journey, many more joined the group. Fuentes explained, “The caravan was organized by several groups of nationals from the most populated cities of Honduras. These groups thought that only about 160 people would make the journey. However, the caravan went viral on social media, and the number of people increased quickly. We never thought a crowd this big would show up for this journey.”
According to the testimonies of people who will launch this crusade, they leave because of the lack of employment in the country, corruption and delinquency. Laura, one of the people who will participate in the caravan said, “The most difficult thing was when they set fire to my house a few weeks ago.”
Video from the bus station where Honduran nationals gathered to begin their journey to the United States:
Kevin, a young man just 15 years old, said that his family is very poor, and there is no opportunity to work in the country. As a result,the best decision is to leave for the United States to seek employment.
“I know that when I get to the United States, I will get a job and will be able to send money to my relatives. This is a very difficult decision, but it will be worth it,” he said.
The Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, revealed in the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America, that the number of Hondurans who illegally enter the U.S. territory is increasing. “The number of people from El Salvador who have entered the United States illegally has decreased, but the number of Hondurans has increased by 61%,” said the vice president.
Mike Pence told the presidents of the northern triangle of Central America (Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala) to warn their compatriots that migrating to the United States puts them at high risk.
“We also need all the nations in the region to reinforce a very simple message to your people, and it’s a message from the heart. And that is, the leaders in this room and the governments that you represent should tell your people: Don’t put your families at risk by taking the dangerous journey north to attempt to enter the United States illegally.
The truth is, your message can probably be summed up by telling them that if they can’t come to the United States legally, they should not come at all,”Pence said.
However, the same United States Government has been the main culprit behind the establishment of the Juan Orlando Hernández regime in Honduras, and for that reason, it is responsible for the people seeking to escape the country due to lack of opportunities and unbearable crime.
Through its business manager in Honduras, Heidi Fulton, the opposition has denied that the United States Government interfered in the November 2017 elections. These elections established the Juan Orlando Hernández regime, which was “elected” as the result of electoral fraud.
Article contributor: Ron Rice.