Hundreds of migrants crossed the Suchiate River on the Guatemalan-Mexican border on Monday after being denied access to the bridge over the river. The migrants try to reach the United States via Mexico.
The majority of migrants come from Honduras, from where they have fled because of poor economic prospects and ongoing gang violence. They had gathered with a few thousand in a camp in Guatemala before they crossed the border to Mexico.
The Mexican army tried to stop the flow of migrants, but several hundred migrants broke through the army line. Some media reported battles between the army and the migrants, with the army using tear gas and throwing stones at the migrants.
Under pressure from US President Donald Trump, Mexico is trying to cut off migration routes to the United States as much as possible. After Trump threatened with economic sanctions, the US and Mexico agreed in June that Mexico would curb illegal immigration, for which the army could also be deployed.
About the author: Matthew Johnson
Matthew Johnson, a small tech business owner retired and found his passion in journalism.
