US-bound Central American migrants on the move in Mexico

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Central American migrants clustered for the night on Wednesday in a southern Mexico town after advancing on their trek toward the United States, despite Mexico's vows to hinder their progress under pressure from the Trump administration.

Thousands of men, women and children, mostly from Honduras, shuffled throughout the afternoon into the town of Mapastepec in Chiapas state, still more than 1,100 miles (1,770 km) from the US border.

As nightfall came and rain began to pour, they camped out on sidewalks in the small town, wrapping knapsacks in plastic and huddling beneath awnings.

Their trek has drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump, who has used the migrant caravan to fire up support for his Republican party in November 6 congressional elections.

Honduran migrants, taking part in a caravan heading to the US, play cards during a stop in Mapastepec, Chiapas state, October 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

It has also prompted Washington to put pressure on the Mexican government to halt the migrants' progress.

The caravan, which began as a march of a few hundred people from the crime-wracked Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on October 13, swelled into the thousands as it was joined by migrants from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Mexican immigration authorities have told the migrants they will not be able to cross illegally into the US.

Honduran migrants, taking part in a caravan heading to the US, rest during a stop in Mapastepec, Chiapas state, October 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

Alex Mensing of Pueblo Sin Fronteras, a group that organized a previous migrant caravan that angered Trump in April, said on Wednesday the current caravan is comprised of about 10,000 people.

"It's very unlikely that 10,000 people will arrive together at a border city between Mexico and the United States," he said.

"There will be people who stay in Mexico, there will be people who go to different borders because everyone has their own plan and different support where they have family members."

A Central American migrant, part of a caravan trying to reach the US, rests before continuing the trip in Ciudad Hidalgo, October 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

Migrants began departing Huixtla in the wee hours of the morning, fanning out for about a mile and half on the road toward Mapastepec. They walked in flip flops and old sneakers. Many hitched rides from hundreds of cars, trucks and public transportation.

On Wednesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called US Vice President Mike Pence "crazy" and "extremist" for accusing his government of financing the caravan. Pence said on Tuesday that the group was "financed by Venezuela," without providing evidence.

Mexican authorities have tried to walk a fine line between responding to Trump's demands to close its borders and respecting migrants' rights.

Source(s): Reuters