TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) — A new caravan of migrants began walking from southern Mexico on Thursday toward the U.S. border, starting out from the city of Tapachula near the border with Guatemala.
The majority of the migrants are from Venezuela, but they also include people from Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru and Ecuador. They've said they are tired of being blocked from crossing Mexico by the government.
Though previous caravans have said they intend to reach the border — something that was almost never achieved — the migrants in the new caravan appear to be less clear about where they were headed. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to prevent migrants from entering the United States and stage mass deportations of those already in the country.
Many of the migrants said they were simply tired of being bottled up in Tapachula — a city tired of hosting thousands of migrants and one where they cannot find much work.
Giscarlis Colmenares, a 29-year-old from Venezuela, has been waiting for almost three months for an asylum appointment through the U.S. CBP One app.
Colmenares said her immediate goal was to reach Mexico City to find “work, so that we see whether we can get, ahead, or stay here and earn enough money to return to Venezuela.”
An improvised migrant camp in downtown Mexico City was already full to overflowing with migrants.
Some recognized the difficulties involved in reaching the U.S.
Douglas Ernesto, from El Salvador, trudged along with the caravan on Thursday, with his wife and 10-year-old son.
“Our goal is the United States, but if not, we'll stay in Mexico,” Ernesto said, acknowledging “that getting beyond Tapachula is very difficult.”
The caravan has little or no chance of making it more than a few dozen miles. In November, Mexican officials broke up two similar migrant caravans not far from Tapchula.
Apart from the much larger first caravans in 2018 and 2019 — which were provided buses to ride part of the way north — no caravan has ever reached the U.S. border walking or hitchhiking in any cohesive way, though some individuals have made it.
For years, migrant caravans have often been blocked, harassed or prevented from hitching rides by Mexican police and immigration agents. They have also frequently been rounded up or returned to areas near the Guatemalan border.
Migrants walk through Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, as part of a caravan trying to reach the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)
A migrant sleeps on a park bench in Huehuetan, Chiapas state, Mexico, Thursday Jan. 2, 2025, as his caravan makes a rest stop on its way by foot to the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)
Migrants walk through Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in an attempt to reach the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)
A migrant carries a child through Tapachula, Chiapas state, Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, as part of a caravan of migrants trying to reach the U.S. border. (AP Photo/Edgar H. Clemente)
The United States and the United Kingdom look set on Thursday to be picked by FIFA next year as hosts of Women's World Cups expanded to 48 teams from 32.
Their respective intentions to bid for the 2031 and 2035 editions are now alone in the contests after a first deadline to enter the race passed. The first formal bid documents must be signed by the end of April.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino told European soccer officials the governing body received one expression of interest to host the 2031 edition — from the U.S. with the possibility of other countries in the CONCACAF region joining the project. That long-promised bid would likely include Mexico.
FIFA has just one “valid bid” to host the 2035 edition, from the British member federations centered on England, Infantino said at UEFA's annual meeting in Belgrade, Serbia.
That 2035 project was quickly supported last month by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when FIFA said it was formally seeking bids from member federations. FIFA excluded Europe from the 2031 contest, clearing the way for a long-expected U.S. win.
Spanish soccer officials said last week they hoped to bid, possibly with Portugal and Morocco in a repeat of the co-hosting plan for the men's 2030 World Cup.
Infantino's comments to the annual meeting of UEFA seemed to rule out a Spain bid being allowed.
“So the path is there for the Women's World Cup to be taking place in ‘31 and ’35 in some great countries," the FIFA president said, "to boost even more the women’s football movement.”
FIFA is scheduled to confirm Women's World Cup hosts next year. The 2027 edition with 32 teams is being hosted by Brazil.
The Women's World Cup would return to the U.S. for the first time since the 2003 edition. The U.S. also hosted in 1999.
England hosted the Women's European Championship in 2022 — which the home team won — and the men's Euro 2028 will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
In a further boost for women's soccer, Infantino detailed FIFA's plan to have more women's teams than men's playing at the next Olympics.
There were just 12 teams in the women's tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 16 in the men's tournament.
Though the International Olympic Committee strongly supports gender equality at the games, adding four more women's teams — and about 70 extra players, plus team officials — would push the limit of agreed athlete quotas for organizers in Los Angeles.
Infantino said on Thursday that FIFA's new proposal is to flip the numbers to have 16 women's teams and 12 in the men's tournaments.
The final decision is for the IOC, which has an executive board meeting next Wednesday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, left, holding a ball during the 49th UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino shakes hands with delegates at the 49th ordinary UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks to delegates at the 49th ordinary UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin delivers his speech during the 49th UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
