Migrant caravan of 3,000 heads north in Mexico as US votes

TAPACHULA, Mexico (Reuters) - A caravan of approximately 3,000 migrants set off on Tuesday from southern Mexico, headed toward the United States on the day when U.S. voters were deciding between U.S. presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Immigration has been a key issue in the U.S. election campaign.

Before heading northward, the migrants gathered in Tapachula, the capital of the southern Chiapas state, carrying banners with messages such as "NO MORE MIGRANT BLOOD" and images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, an important religious and cultural symbol in Mexico, according to Reuters witnesses.

"We want U.S. authorities to see us, to see that we are people who want to work, not to harm anyone," said Honduran migrant Roy Murillo, who joined the caravan with his two children and his pregnant wife.

In recent years, several caravans with people hoping to enter the United States have attempted to reach the U.S.-Mexican border, traveling in mass groups for safety. Most have dispersed along the way. 

"I'm afraid to travel alone with my family. Here, the cartels either kidnap you or kill you. ... That's why we're coming in the caravan," Murillo said. 

Murillo recounted his unsuccessful attempts to secure an asylum appointment through a mobile app developed by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.

Tapachula, a mandatory crossing point for tens of thousands of migrants, has become one of Mexico's most violent cities in recent months, with migrants frequently targeted by organized crime, according to official data.

"I feel suffocated here. That's why we decided to leave," said 28-year-old Venezuelan migrant Thais, who spoke on condition that her surname not be used due to safety concerns.

She joined the caravan with her husband and 3-year-old daughter. 

"I wish Mr. Trump and Ms. Kamala would see that we are human beings, that we want to live and support our families," she added. 

Voters cast ballots on Tuesday in the race between Vice President Harris, a Democrat seeking to become the first female U.S. president, and Trump, a Republican immigration hard-liner aiming to regain the presidency.



(Reported by Daniel Becerril in Tapachula and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico City; Writing by Sarah Kinosian; Editing by Will Dunham)