Guatemala deploys troops and barbed wire at its border after Trump furiously threatened to withdraw aid to countries that let migrant caravan march to America
Thousands of migrants have crossed Guatemala’s border with Honduras as they journey toward America
But now Guatemala has blocked a key crossing point with dozens of guards and barbed wire barricades
Comes after Donald Trump threatened to withdraw aid money from countries who fail to stop the migration
There are now thought to be 14,000 people heading towards the US in at least three distinct groups
By CHRIS PLEASANCE
DAILYMAIL.COM
24 October 2018
Guatemala has stationed guards and barbed wire barricades at key border crossing with Honduras in an apparent attempt to stop more migrants marching towards US.
Police officers and what appear to be soldiers in combat fatigues were pictured blocking the road and checking trucks at the Aguas Calientes crossing point, which was used by the first two caravans to enter the country.
It comes after President Trump vowed to cut aid money to any nation failing to stop the migrants, which for Guatemala amounted to more than $230million in 2017.
The Aguas Calientes route has been used by two caravans of migrants to get into Guatemala – the first one of which has now reached Mexico, and the second of which is still in Guatemala, around 200 miles behind the first.
But according to Mexican newspaper El Universal there could be another 3,000 people heading for the Guatemalan border, which authorities are hoping to block.
El Universal, quoting the Mexican National Migration Institute, reports that around 7,000 migrants have already crossed into their country from Guatemala, despite attempts to block them at the border.
Another 3,000 are stuck at the border crossing in Ciudad Hidalgo, the newspaper reports, while applying for paperwork to enter Mexico legally.
Another 3,000-4,000 people are gathered around the border between Honduras and Guatemala, including some who have already crossed and are now heading for Mexico.
The first caravan had been advancing across Mexico at the rate of 20 miles per day, reaching the town of Huixtla on Monday night, before resting on Tuesday in honor of a man who died falling from a truck.
Mexican authorities said they were providing limited food, water and medical supplies to those in the caravan, including children running high temperatures from the long march.
On Wednesday morning the group left Huixtla before the sun rose, intending to march around 40 miles to the town of Mapastepec, where they will rest there for the night.
Meanwhile a second caravan, believed to number around 1,500, spent Monday night in the town of Chiquimula, Guatemala, and were pictured hitching rides on trucks on Tuesday as they continued across the country.
Once in Mexico, both groups face an arduous march of at least 1,000 miles to the nearest border crossing point with the US in McAllen, Texas.
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