By Gustavo Palencia

TEGUCIGALPA -Hundreds left San Pedro Sula, Honduran capital of Honduras, on Saturday to make a march towards the United States. It was the first such migrant caravan formed in Central America.

It was set off just days before leftist President-elect Xiomara Cuba takes office in Honduras, Jan. 27, 2007. The former President-elect Xiomara Castro has pledged to restore the economy, and to combat corruption which encourages waves of mass migration towards the United States.

In an effort to get into Guatemala, the migrants were mostly youth with backpacks and mothers carrying children. Many were carrying their children in baby carriers.

Pablo Mendez from Honduras, carrying his 2 year-old daughter in his arms, said that “there is no work.” “This is the reason people have left in this caravan.”

Reuters video footage shows large groups of people crossing San Pedro Sula by foot.

A smaller number of people also left San Pedro Sula to cross the Guatemalan border. They arrived earlier in the day.

Guatemala’s Migration Institute reported that around 100 persons had entered Guatemala through an unofficial border crossing at 2:05 p.m. (2000 GMT)

Many migrants were heading towards the Corinto border crossing, Honduras. The Guatemala Institute stated that they were awaiting the Guatemalan military and police on the other side.

In the past, Honduran police set up roadblocks in order to stop many caravans reaching the border crossing. When migrant groups tried to cross the border without documentation, Guatemalan security forces clashed with them.

This year’s first caravan comes after much economic hardship and poverty has hit 62%. It was made worse by the coronavirus epidemic and back-to-back Hurricanes 2020 which hampered the economy.

The surge in immigration to Nicaragua has been caused by the political crackdowns of President Daniel Ortega’s government prior and following the Nov. 7, presidential election.

Euclides Mendes from Nicaragua said that the large caravan offered hope for a safe journey.

Mendes said, “It is true that we are going to walk quite a bit, but it’s important to keep going and get to the end line.”