Group of migrants head toward the U.S. border on foot

Thousands of migrants traveling in a caravan toward the U.S. border decided to continue on foot across the isthmus of Mexico Thursday toward Veracruz after an arrangement to travel by bus directly to Mexico City fell through, coordinators announced late Wednesday.

The coordinators blamed the Mexican federal government with blocking a plan to have buses transport migrants to the capital, forcing the caravan to take a well-traveled route through Veracruz that will expose migrants to violent attacks by criminal organizations.

Veracruz is notorious for violent criminal smuggling organizations that seek to extort migrants or sell them to drug-trafficking organizations that seek to enlist or force them to work in the drug trade.

“Today there was the possibility to have 70 buses from various sources of support that under pressure of the Mexican government withdrew their support, leaving the exodus no choice but to continue on foot towards Veracruz, a state of high risk of violence at the hands of criminal organizations,” coordinators said in a written statement.

The migrants rejected taking an alternate route toward Mexico City, through the state Oaxaca, because it would have taken them along curvy mountainous roads through small towns without infrastructure to accommodate such a large group. The caravan, which began its journey Oct. 12 in Honduras, includes many women and children.

Many migrants have become sick along the journey, coordinators noted in their statement.

“Any aggression towards the exodus (of migrants) and those accompany them will be the complete responsibility of the federal government,” the statement said.