The latest news reports on both Univision and Telemundo about the caravans of Central Americans heading to the United States have finally validated what President Trump has been trying to warn the nation about: that there are some very ‘bad hombres’ among the nearly 10,000 people now trekking their way through Mexico, to the point that some women have decided to either travel separately or drop out of them.
At Telemundo, correspondent Edgar Muñoz interviewed a Honduran woman who chose to ask for asylum on her own for fear of the gangs and other elements involved in the caravans:
EDGAR MUÑOZ, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: On the side of Texas, yesterday Immigration freed twelve hundred people. Marjorie says that there are so many people that the holding facilities are packed. She came from Honduras at the hand of her thirteen-year-old daughter asking for asylum and preferred not to come with the caravan because she was scared.
MARJORIE FERRUFINO, ASYLUM SEEKER FROM HONDURAS: There are also people there involved with the gangs and people who do not like to work.
Over at Univision, where anchor Jorge Ramos chose to hype the presence of innocent children in the caravans, anchor Ilia Calderón opened a recent segment stating that “some women are giving up” and “there have also been allegations of sexual harassment.”
ILIA CALDERÓN, ANCHOR, UNIVISIÓN: Let's talk now about the immigration crisis. Those most affected by the harsh conditions of the road traveled by the Central American caravan are women and children. For them the risks are multiplied with the passing of the days, so some women are giving up going from Mexico to the United States. As Jessica Zermeño tells us, there have also been allegations of sexual harassment.
Correspondent Jésica Zermeño spoke with a Honduran mother of three who wanted to abandon the caravan due to men who threatened to sexually assault one of her daughters, age 14. According to Zermeño, the mother, Argentina Bernard, said that she was “afraid of what might happen beyond that, because since yesterday they said that they desired the eldest, my oldest girl, that they wanted to rape her.” Worse yet Bernard said the caravan coordinators knew about it, and have warned the men to leave the girl alone.
According to Univision, Mexican authorities in Oaxaca say some 500 persons in the caravan have already asked to be sent back to their countries of origin.
News networks and anchors like Jorge Ramos can no longer credibly deny the reality: some very ‘bad hombres’ have infiltrated the caravans and the effort to put an end to these types of lawless movements is in the best interest of everyone.
Below are the respective transcripts of the referenced segments, as transmitted on the October 31, 2018 edition of Noticias Telemundo and the November 6, 2018 edition of Noticiero Univisión.
TELEMUNDO NEWS
JOSÉ DÍAZ-BALART, ANCHOR, TELEMUNDO: President Trump, today threatened to increase the number of troops being sent to the border. He spoke of up to 15 thousand, three times what he had initially said. Metal fences on the border bridges are also being installed in Texas. Edgar Muñoz shows us what the situation there for those who want to cross.
EDGAR MUÑOZ, CORRESPONDENT, TELEMUNDO: They’ve been camping on the floor for several days camping, dozens of Central Americans in the bridge of El Paso, Texas who come to seek asylum at the United States, a few days from the caravan of migrants at the border, where the human drama could be grow as the multitude arrives.
[…]
MUÑOZ: On the side of Texas, yesterday Immigration freed twelve hundred people. Marjorie says that there are so many people that the holding facilities are packed. She came from Honduras at the hand of her thirteen-year-old daughter asking for asylum and preferred not to come with the caravan because she was scared.
MARJORIE FERRUFINO, IMMIGRANT FROM HONDURAS: There are also people there involved with the gangs and people who doesn't like to work.
UNIVISION NEWS
ILIA CALDERÓN, ANCHOR, UNIVISIÓN: Let's talk now about the immigration crisis. Those most affected by the harsh conditions of the road traveled by the Central American caravan are women and children. For them the risks are multiplied with the passing of the days, so some women are giving up going from Mexico to the United States. As Jessica Zermeño tells us, there have also been allegations of sexual harassment.
JESSICA ZERMEÑO, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISIÓN: Traveling in a caravan is a titanic effort. Walking under the sun and rain, always sleeping on the floor, bathing wherever you can. And there are still more
ARGENTINA BERNARD, HONDURAN MIGRANT: I am afraid of what might happen beyond that, because since yesterday said that they desired the eldest, my oldest girl, they wanted to rape her.
ZERMEÑO: Argentina Bernard is Honduran and traveling in the second caravan of migrants with her three children. Two teenagers ages 14 and 12, and a child of seven who is recovering from the removal of a tumor. She told us that some men of the caravan have harassed the girl of 14 and that the coordinators of the groups knew about it.
BERNARD: They told them to be careful, don’t touch, be careful to not do something to the women.
ZERMEÑO: That is why Argentina wants to abandon the caravan so they can stay here in Oaxaca, because returning to Honduras is impossible.
