Over 6,000 Central Americans traversing Mexico with the aim of reaching the U.S. border passed through Guadalajara for a short respite this past weekend.
They belonged to the migrant caravan that left San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on October 12.
Between November 9 and 11, state and city officials, religious and civic groups and human rights monitors provided support to the migrants, most of whom are Hondurans escaping poverty, crime and political turmoil in their homeland.
After arriving at the outskirts of Guadalajara near Zapotlanejo, the migrants were ferried in buses to the Benito Juarez Auditorium north of the city, where they received essential services, including shelter, food and medical attention.
According to data supplied by the Jalisco Civil Protection Unit, 3,955 men, 1,154 women, 495 boys and 407 girls passed through the shelter. The agency said 729 public servants and 500 volunteers assisted in the operation.
While many praised the Jalisco government for the massive mobilization effort, state officials also encountered a fair share of criticism. The migrants were originally under the impression they would be able to continue their journey north after being taken by bus to Ixtlán del Río on the border with the neighboring state of Nayarit. By all accounts, the Jalisco government had chartered around 60 buses to transport them to the state’s western boundary.
Controversy arose when caravan members on the first 15 buses were left 90 kilometers short of their destination at the El Arenal toll booth on the Guadalajara-Tepic highway.
Jalisco Governor Aristóteles Sandoval denied that anyone in his administration had agreed to transport the migrants all the way to Nayarit. According to the governor, the migrants became defiant and abusive after being ordered out of the buses near El Arenal.
The state government then cancelled the remaining bus rides, forcing the rest of the migrants at the auditorium to pack up their belongings and continue their journey on foot eastward around the Periferico (city beltway) to the Tepic highway.
Mexico City daily Excelsior reported that some migrants also became aggressive in the auditorium, breaking dishes in the community kitchen due to being displeased with the menu. The influx of people also resulted in large amounts of refuse being left behind, including clothes and luggage, all of which had to be thrown away.
Some reports suggested that the migrant caravan will keep moving until it reaches the coastal city of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, where the travelers will take another breather.