Undocumented caravan marches in Mexico City for Migrant Day

Hundreds of members of the migrant caravan that left Tapachula, Chiapas, in the south of the country last October, marched this Saturday in Ciudad de Mexico to commemorate International Migrants Day, demand respect for their rights and stop the violence against them.

The undocumented persons walked along the emblematic Reforma avenue, in the center of the Mexican capital, carrying banners with legends such as “Migrating is not a crime, criminal is the Government”, “No one is illegal, down the walls and borders” Y “The LGBT community also migrates, we seek respect and freedom.”

In a peaceful manner, the protesters arrived at the facilities of the United States embassy to demand that their rights be respected and to call for a halt to the violence against them, because during their way through Mexico they have had clashes with representatives of the National Guard and authorities of the National Migration Institute (INM).

They recalled that they have traveled more than 1,600 kilometers in Mexican territory in search of reaching the United States to improve their living conditions, although along the way they have been reduced in number because some have accepted the government’s offers to regularize them and give them work. .

Mothers of disappeared migrants took advantage of the moment to ask that the lives of people who migrate “through this territory and throughout the world” be respected.

They also demanded that they be allowed access to countries such as Mexico to search for their children and demanded that no disappearance or death go unpunished.

They pointed out that people are forced to leave their countries mainly due to the difficult living conditions and violence they suffer in their places of origin and for the mere fact of wanting a better life they continue to migrate.

The caravan, mostly made up of Central Americans and Haitians, arrived in Mexico City on December 13, after leaving on October 23 from the city of Tapachula, in the southern state of Chiapas, on the border with Guatemala.

Since their arrival in the Mexican capital, the activity of the caravan has been intense, as they met with the president of the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), Rosario Piedra, as well as with capital authorities, with whom they agreed to regularize the about 500 members of the continent and allow the passage to the north to those who wish to continue their route.

Mexico it is experiencing one of the largest migratory waves in its history. From January to October, the country has intercepted 228,115 people and deported another 82,627, figures that had not been seen for more than 15 years.

Similarly, refugee applications have also broken records. From January to October, the country has received 108,195 petitions.