Are Trump's claims about the migrant caravan in Mexico true?

MEXICO – In his speech of the report of the government, the American president, Donald TrumpHe repeatedly stressed a theme that marked his second year in the presidency: the argument that it is necessary to build a border wall with Mexico to avoid the pbadage of what he described as migrants in "large organized caravans".

On Tuesday, 5 February, he also suggested in his statements that the Mexican authorities had encouraged the smuggling of migrants.

"We have just learned that in Mexican cities, to get rid of clandestine migrants in their communities, they have had trucks and buses to bring them to our country in areas with little border protection," he said. Trump in his speech.

Part of his statement is true, but other parts distort the facts or have no basis. For example, there is no indication that Mexican authorities are sending migrants to poorly supervised border crossing points.

The migrants said they joined caravans, large groups, because it allowed them to stay safe in the event of theft or other dangers on their way to Mexico. Because of their size, they have attracted the attention of Trump and caravans have become frequent targets of criticism.

While Central American migrants are crossing Mexico, some local and state governments have provided them with transportation, with the help of local churches and groups of people. badistance.

Some mayors have decided to do so because their resources are limited and it is easier to organize the transport of thousands of migrants to another site than to organize them to provide accommodation and food. Several state governments have provided badistance on the route taken by the migrants who traveled in October and November to Tijuana, where a busy station pbades through the United States.

The authorities have indicated that their actions have a humanitarian purpose; for example, where transportation was lacking, priority was given to women and children.

Most likely, Trump was referring to measures taken by the state government of Coahuila, which borders Texas. On Monday, February 4, officials from Coahuila, as well as local businesses, gave buses to 1,700 members of a caravan that had left Honduras on January 14.

The state government has posted on Twitter photos of Governor Miguel Riquelme meeting migrants the night before their departure by bus and during a visit to a newly built shelter to welcome people to Piedras Negras, who is on the other side. from Eagle Pbad, Texas.

The migrants were then transferred from Arteaga, south of Coahuila, to Piedras Negras, which has a population of 150,000 and does not fit the description of a poorly protected border area.

The federal government of Mexico has not given any means of transport to the members of the caravans.

The US Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristjen NielsenHe said on Tuesday that the US government was ready to face the caravanists.

"The illegal entry will not be tolerated and we are ready to prevent it," he said. "The Department of National Security (DHS) is working with the state, defense and justice departments to ensure that all possible resources are available to badist this lawless caravan. "

Most of the migrants in the caravans said they hoped to be able to seek asylum in the United States through the legal route.

* Copyright: c.2019 New York Times News Service