Thousands of migrants, most of them Hondurans, on Sunday broke through the metal fence separating Guatemala and Mexico and - after clashing with police - poured across the border into Mexican territory.
       
Guatemalan riot police fired tear gas at the migrants who, in desperation to continue their northward trek toward the U.S. border, responded by hurling stones and sticks.
       
"Let's go to Mexico," shouted the migrants in the group as they headed for the Mexican customs office, where a heavy police presence initially prevented them from crossing the bridge or the river separating the two countries.
       
There was significant tension during the confrontation, with parents pulling their children out of the line of fire. Ultimately, however, the migrants broke through the fence into Mexico, despite police opposition, although an unknown number of people were injured.
       
An initial caravan of migrants - now comprising some 7,000 people, mainly Hondurans - departed from San Pedro Sula on Oct. 13 heading for the U.S. and a large number of them are currently traversing far southern Mexico on foot after making it through Guatemala.
       
Most of the members of this caravan on Sunday postponed their departure from San Pedro Tapanatepec, in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, to reorganize their security measures after on Saturday night a fight occurred in which one person was injured.
       
Caravan spokesman Alexander Martinez said at a press conference that all except about 300 members of the group decided to remain in the town and resume their journey on Monday morning while they organize safety and security committees.
       
Meanwhile, this second caravan of about 1,500 people is moving through Guatemala in several groups.
       
Finally, in a caravan apparently organized via the social networks, some 150 Salvadorans, including women and children, on Sunday began heading northwards toward the U.S. looking for better living conditions, just like the other groups.
       
The Salvadoran caravan departed from San Salvador, where the members gathered to organize, and members told EFE that they intended to head for the border with Guatemala, then enter Mexico and finally travel the 1,000 or so miles north to the southern U.S. border.
       
U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a hard line toward the first caravan, threatening to deploy US Army troops along the border to prevent entry and saying he will significantly cut economic aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in reprisal for their inability to halt the caravan(s).