One of the questions that came up at the Thanksgiving table was "Why are Central American families fleeing their countries to seek asylum in the U.S.?" The person who asked that question said "it couldn't possibly be that bad." It is. I researched it and here's what I learned. Mothers and their children walked hundreds of miles and fled unspeakable horrors in the hope they would find asylum here in America. Instead of being met with compassion, they were tear gassed and threatened with "shoot to kill" orders from the U.S. - which is no better than what they left behind. Here's WHY they fled from the "Northern Triangle" of Central America.....
WHY ARE THEY FLEEING? VIOLENCE
The UN Refugee Agency noted "Gang warfare and violence have transformed parts of Central America into some of the most dangerous places on earth. In recent years, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala (known as the Northern Triangle) have experienced a dramatic escalation in organized crime by gangs, called maras." Police are called and do nothing. So families move over and over again in their country and it's the same. Brutality. Murder. Violence.
HIGH HOMICIDE RATES - Current homicide rates are among the highest ever recorded in Central America. Several cities, including San Salvador, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, are among the 10 most dangerous in the world. The most visible evidence of violence is the high rate of brutal homicides, but other human rights abuses are on the rise, including the recruitment of children into gangs, extortion and sexual violence.
INCREASING NUMBER FLEEING - From 2011 to 2016, the number of people from the Northern Triangle who have sought refuge in surrounding countries has increased by 2,249 percent. The majority fleeing are women and children.
Video Central American refugees flee violence
: https://youtu.be/v_sa0-6uEiU
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| The Northern Triangle of Violence. Credit: Nat'l Geographic |
THE U.S. PART IN HONDURAS' PROBLEMS: Many Hondurans blame the US for supporting the 2009 military coup against the country’s elected government. “They destabilize our country, wreck our economy, and protect the corrupt, who keep all the money the US sends. We don’t care if they stop the aid – we never see any of it,” Omar said.
TO HELP OUT- Donate to the United Nations Refugee Agency: UNHCR is helping provide shelter and protection for families on the run, including cash assistance, education programs, temporary accommodation and legal services.
