Authorities say 600 Mexicans have crossed into Guatemala to escape drug cartel violence

Guatemalan authorities say that nearly 600 Mexicans have fled across the border into Guatemala seeking refuge from drug cartel violence. Guatemala President Bernardo Arévalo says that his administration was coordinating with the local governments in Huehuetenango and the municipality of Cuilco to attend to the Mexicans. He says they are escaping conflicts between groups on the Mexican side. A government report obtained by The Associated Press describes accounts from the refugees who explained they had abandoned their homes because of a lack of food and fighting between organized crime groups. On the Mexican side, Chiapas’ state security agency says it has received no reports from the area.