Migrant caravan forms in southern Mexico, unlikely to make it to US

A NEW MIGRANT CARAVAN – FORMED IN SOUTHERN MEXICO NEAR TAPACHULA – IS MAKING ITS WAY NORTH.

THE CARAVAN IS MADE UP OF ABOUT 15-HUNDRED MIGRANTS FROM VENEZUELA, GUATEMALA, EL SALVADOR, PERU AND ECUADOR.

SOME MIGRANTS TELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, THEY’RE UNCERTAIN IF THEY’LL MAKE IT TO THE UNITED STATES.

ONE MIGRANT SAID SHE LEFT VENEZUELA BECAUSE SHE HAS A DISABLED SON AND WANTS TO GET HIM A SPECIAL WHEELCHAIR. SHE SAID SHE ALSO JUST WANTS TO HELP HER MOTHER AND FAMILY STUCK IN CRISIS IN VENEZUELA.

OTHER MIGRANTS SAID IF AUTHORITIES BREAK UP THE CARAVAN, THEY WILL TRY TO STAY IN MEXICO.

ANOTHER MIGRANT TELLING THE AP: “THAT IS WHY WE WANT TO WORK IN MEXICO CITY AND WAIT AND BUY THE TICKETS AND RETURN TO VENEZUELA IF WE ARE NOT LET INTO THE U.S.”

AFTER TRUMP’S RE-ELECTION, TRUMP ANNOUNCED ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM ‘TRUTH SOCIAL’ THAT HE WOULD IMPLEMENT  TARIFFS ON MEXICAN GOODS IF THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT DIDN’T DO MORE TO CURB THE FLOW OF MIGRANTS AND FENTANYL ACROSS THE US SOUTHERN BORDER.

“ON JANUARY 20TH, AS ONE OF MY MANY FIRST EXECUTIVE ORDERS, I WILL SIGN ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CHARGE MEXICO AND CANADA A 25% TARIFF ON ALL PRODUCTS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES, AND ITS RIDICULOUS OPEN BORDERS. THIS TARIFF WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL SUCH TIME AS DRUGS, IN PARTICULAR FENTANYL, AND ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS STOP THIS INVASION OF OUR COUNTRY!” TRUMP WROTE.

MEXICO’S NEW PRESIDENT CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM FIRED BACK IN A LETTER TO TRUMP WRITING IN PART “MIGRATION AND DRUG CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED STATES CANNOT BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THREATS OR TARIFFS… FOR EVERY TARIFF, THERE WILL BE A RESPONSE IN KIND, UNTIL WE PUT AT RISK OUR SHARED ENTERPRISES.”

THIS NEWEST MIGRANT CARAVAN IS UNLIKELY TO MAKE IT TO THE U-S SOUTHERN BORDER BEFORE PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP TAKES OFFICE – AS MEXICAN AUTHORITIES BROKE UP MIGRANT CARAVANS IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.

TRUMP HAS PROMISED MASS DEPORTATIONS AND PLANS TO CARRY OUT HIS IMMIGRATION PLANS ON DAY ONE.

IN THE PAST, MEXICO HAS ACCEPTED MIGRANTS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND HELPED TO GET THEM FLIGHTS TO THEIR COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN, HOWEVER, THAT COULD CHANGE IN THE COMING WEEKS WHEN TRUMP TAKES OFFICE AS PRESIDENT SHEINBAUM JUST LAST WEEK URGED THE U.S. TO REPATRIATE MIGRANTS TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES INSTEAD OF SENDING THEM TO MEXICO.