US VP Pence tells Central America that the 'exodus must end'

US Vice President Mike Pence had a blunt message for three Central American governments: You must do more to stop migrants who enter the United States illegally.

"This exodus must end," Pence told the leaders of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador late yesterday in a meeting in Guatemala City.

Pence said US officials were working to keep families together and welcomed legal immigration from their countries, but he urged the presidents to "tell your people that coming to the United States illegally will only result in a hard journey and a harder life."
Sanchez Ceren of El Salvador said one of his ministers had confirmed that the minors in the shelters had their basic needs covered, but he emphasized that "it's vital for their psychological health and their emotional health to reunite them immediately with their families."
"The Ecuadorean people have shown remarkable compassion," Pence said, noting that 350,000 Venezuelans have fled to Ecuador, a country of a little more than 16 million people. "We must all take strong action to restore democracy in Venezuela."