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THE JOURNEY
LEAVING HOME
Quique and his friends
left for the promised land, 'el norte' with hopes
that they'd be able to help their families back home
once they arrived.
But Quique's mother and wife were
sick with worry. Some young men that set out are never
seen again - the road ahead is full of danger.
Quique said a farewell to his beloved son, Angel,
who could be grown up by the next time he sees his
Daddy.
Together the four boys had a total of $100 to last
the entire trip and some 5000 kilometres.
And when was gone, they'd have to think of something.
They spent some of their
precious money on bus tickets - which took them north
through Honduras and Guatemala all the way to the
Mexican border - about 1600 kilometres away.
At the checkpoint into Guatemala
they all showed their identity papers - but it was
the last border they'd be able to cross legally.
Then it was back on the bus and up to the next border
crossing into Mexico.
Honduran journalist Jorge Flores
says that border with Mexico is known as 'el bestio'
- the Beast.
Jorge Flores:
It's a wild country - there is no law in the borders.
It's common to hear stories of the police in Guatemala
and Mexico who are preying on these people near the
border because that's where they have the most money.
They rob everything of value that they carry.
There are over 100 criminal bands that prey on the
migrants. Unscrupulous government officials exact
bribes ranging from a few dollars to allow a single
person to cross or thousands of dollars to permit
the passage of drugs, weapons and stolen property.
Jorge Flores: The
robbers and police are almost one in the same with
the difference that the police can deport you and
the robbers can kill you.
According to human right's organizations
120 Central Americans died at or near the Mexican
border in the year 2000.
Quique and his friends rented a hotel room in the
little border town, Talisman. They met four other
young men from Honduras who are also traveling north.
In a frontier town like Talisman, there's safety in
numbers.
They tried to get some rest for the night. But there
was a torrential rain storm outside - and the next
day they'd have to swim across the river into Mexico.
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