We spent the first 2 days in Guatemala City learning about the next 2 weeks of our life and getting to know our delegation/tour guides. There we vistited a Casa del Migrante (migrant shelter), and learned a bit about what information they provide to migrants about the journey. Though we had spent quite a bit of time studying the trek and the dangers, it was interesting to hear it from the shelter´s leader. He told us that $3.2 billion is sent to Guatemala from migrants in the U.S. each year, making remittances one of the most important parts of Guatemala´s economy.
We also met with HIJOS, an urban youth resistance movement that has been fighting for justice in Guatemala since 1999. Specifically, they are concerned with the injustices of the government, who initiated a civil war, genocide, and fight with the people of Guatemala for 36 years. They are trying to bring these ex-combatants to trial, and make them pay for the war crimes they committed. It was so great to see how the youth are involved in such a powerful movement. The rhetoric and images they use are powerful and arguably contreversial--many of the teens were holding signs that said "BUSH", but the "S" was a swastika....
The next day, we drove for an hour or two up this windy, bumpy road and ended up in this gorgeous mountain village. The town was literally in the clouds and the people were so friendly. We met with a man who had been part of the Postville, Iowa raid, which was a mass deportation of Guatemalans that were living and working in Iowa in the early 2000s. He was working 18 hour days in a meat packing factory and trying to send money home. Like many Central Americans, the effects of NAFTA and CAFTA have essentially forced people to abandon their lives, their families, and their comforts and head north. U.S. government subsidies and free trade agreements have destroyed virtually all industry, agriculture, and autonomy here. This town was a perfect example. After spending 5 months in prison, not being fed for several days, and losing 50 pounds on the journey back to Guatemala, he will never return.
Yesterday, we had a conference on the migrant journey, and learned that the average trip to the U.S. from Guatemala costs $4,000, yet the average person earns $2-$5 a day. The cost of a pound of chicken is the same here as it in the U.S. Seventy-five percent of Guatemalan products are exported elsewhere, making it impossible for the country to support itself. Ninety percent of the women who make the journey experience some sort of physical assault or abuse on their journey. Most are robbed; many are raped. Each day, roughly 200 Guatemalans leave the country and travel north. Of those, only 17 make it the U.S., and they don´t get their travel money back. Ever.
We then had a panel with four migrants who all shared different stories. It was shocking. The first man who spoke had spent 19 out of his 22 years of life living in the United States. For years, he trained to be a professional boxer, and was about to sign a contract when Immigration crossed his path. Years after committing a minor crime--which became a closed case--he was deported to Guatemala, a country in which he had no family or friends. Luckily, he came in contact with DESAGUA and is now getting back on his feet and working for justice in Guatemala, but the injustice he experienced in the U.S. will live with him forever.
The next story was incredible. Juvaldo went to the U.S. at age 15 and began washing dishes and studying English. He wanted to study medicine, but he couldn't afford to pay the tuition. He came back to Guatemala for a little while, couldn't find work, and then decided to make the trek back north. He paid $5,000 for a coyote to help him cross the desert. Along the way, he was deserted. He spent twelve days in the desert--alone--without food or water. He eventually passed out and was later found by Immigration, who put him in jail for 11 days before he was deported.
It is these kinds of stories that make us forget that we feel too hot or too uncomfortable at any given moment. These are the stories that silence our complaints about not being able to check our email or not getting to eat the food we want. These stories show us what pain and suffering really are, because we will never in our lives experience anything even remotely similar. This is why we're here.
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