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Guatemalan soldiers clash with thousands from Honduras in caravan attempting to head to USA

Posted at 2:49 PM, Jan 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-17 14:49:06-05

Guatemalan soldiers clashed with migrants from Honduras on Sunday after part of a caravan of as many as 9,000 people was held by authorities near where it had entered the country.

The soldiers, many wearing helmets and wielding shields and sticks, formed ranks across a highway to block the procession which was seeking to reach the U.S.

Footage showed a large crowd pushing past the security forces.

After a small fight broke out, troops eventually held the migrants back.

The latest clashes come after two groups of more than 3,000 Honduran migrants each pushed their way into Guatemala without registering on Friday, January 15.

The migrants are trying to cross Guatemala to reach Mexico, driven by deepening poverty and the hope of a warmer reception if they can reach the United States border.

However, several previous attempts at forming caravans have been broken up by Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.