Thousands of people join the US-bound groups to flee a life of poverty and violence. Two devastating hurricanes hit the region at the end of last year, exacerbating the economic pressures from the coronavirus pandemic.
Guatemala’s State Department in a statement on Saturday urged the Honduran authorities to do more to “stem the mass departure of residents.”
Although the National Institute of Migration in Honduras did not directly respond to Guatemala’s request, it said on social media that it has reinforced three border points between the two countries with immigration inspectors.
A video captured by CNN on Saturday showed a large group of people pushing past a cordon of Guatemalan soldiers to access highways traveling to Mexico. Authorities estimate that nearly 3,500 people have made it to the border.
Last October, the first major US migrant caravan since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic left San Pedro Sula, Honduras and crossed the border into Guatemala with an estimated 1,500 to 2,800 people.
Border crossings at the US-Mexico border have fallen during the 2020 lockdowns. April arrests hit their lowest figure in years, at about 17,100.
Since then, detentions have steadily increased, at about 70,000 each in the months of October, November and December, according to US Customs and Border Protection statistics.