Deadliest Roads | Mexico | Free Documentary

so it's seven in the morning on the river that forms the border between guatemala and

mexico

these men and women come from salvador honduras or nicaragua they are crossing the river into

mexico

illegally but they have another destination in mind united states every year more than a million of people flee the poverty of their own countries and try their luck on this path towards what some call the impossible dream on the Mexican side the military turns a blind eye for a few dollars the dollar is the only passport for illegals to reach the border with texas they have to cross all of mexico a journey of two thousand five hundred kilometers and a trip that for the majority towards the north begins at the ariaga railroad station the only means of transportation for illegals are freight trains every day thousands take trains moving through a storm, regardless of the danger, each one tries to find a small place on the roofs of the axles between the cars, there can be up to a thousand hooked on a trip, a trip that can become a trap because to gather the numbers maximum of illegal immigrants the police stop the train in the middle of the countryside today it is a large room 300 are arrested 300 illegals who have crossed only a few hundred kilometers of Mexican territory is the end of their journey they will be deported to their countries of origin only 40 percent of those who try to exile arrive at the United States border.

These four young people are from El Salvador. They have been walking along the

roads

for two days. Jaime is 30 years old. has persuaded 19 year old lupita to try for the american dream my goal is to get to brownsville in texas and once i get there work hard to give lupita a better life jaime acts as group leader nesta and velma also agreed to do the trip but they are nervous unlike us it is more than 2,000 miles from their final destination. As soon as you arrive at the station, Jaime has to find the right train. There are many illegals who have already made that mistake.

Before getting on, you should make sure the train is heading north. You see a lot of immigrants. Come by here, there's a lot that Mexicans think about it. I've seen a lot of accidents. People fall off the train and die because the train runs over them. People also have their legs cut off. Last March, the train left the tracks that were before us. because we left we talked a lot about these tragic accidents that happen on the trip she often feels very bad she feels sad but we will make it hey we must lose hope I have never stopped believing since we started and I will never stop believing well we are all going to make it well nestor let's continue and when we get there we will have a big party try to get on the moving trains the migrants are taking a big risk yesterday I fell off the train there between the cars but thank god I didn't get hurt other illegals weren't so lucky oh it hurts I take care of him.

He fell next to the train. Others are not so lucky. There are many injured people being treated at the town clinic. Rosanna is Salvadoran. Both of her legs were amputated a month ago. I fell when I was trying to get off in front of a migrant checkpoint. I was traveling with another Salvadoran woman. and three Honduran men did not even come down because they thought that they had surely killed me, Jaime and his group will only advance at night before leaving. They rest in this small hotel in front of the tracks. In the next room there are other Salvadorans who, like them, have done 200 miles on foot to get here is a white woman who left her.

Her husband stayed behind and of her six children only Francisco is coming on the trip, but her cousin also left her family and I have the courage to move forward and I make them continue. I do not have any other option. I will see them again one day. Life is dark and like ghosts the illegals invade the tracks Lupita and Jaime have decided to make the trip with the Salvadorans in the next room now there are seven of them the more the better to face the rigors of crossing Mexico there is no longer room here for the train It's already packed to bursting, they have to find a place before it leaves and then a stroke of luck at the back of the train the freight car was left open so no one gets in we'll keep the car that's jamming the door so they don't to close during the trip so as not to risk it closing because then it could mean that we won't have enough air and we could die now that they have a car.

Jaime has to protect him. His only weapon is a machete throughout the trip. The gangs could take advantage of the migrants and rob them. Many women are raped. Jaime is worried. In his group there are four women. The beast, as the migrants call it. The train starts moving. Imei and his group has walked hundreds. of miles to get on this train their smiles say it all but the most difficult part is yet to come they have another two thousand miles to travel to the American border and there are many dangers on the way changing trains several times feeding themselves looking for accommodation and on top of that all avoiding the police patrols this first trip in the middle of a

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zing cold will last eight hours so early in the morning and the train stops in a switching yard exhausted by the trip jaime and his group now must wait for the next training nesta has trouble recovering half an hour later We are on board another train.

There is no space in the front cars. Just a small 20 square foot hallway. It's hard to sleep. The noise is deafening. So Jaime crossed the United States border illegally when he was young. He went with his parents who settled in Los Angeles. where they lived for 15 years they even got a green card but things went wrong he was a gang member he broke the law and was eventually deported back to salvador meeting lupita transformed him it's a form of redemption he will take her to texas to offer her a life I met her best in Las Lagas, the town where my grandmother and my cousins ​​live, I saw her, I greeted her from afar and I fell in love with her but I didn't dare tell her that I didn't know what she would think of me, so I used one of my best moves I learned in the US, so the group moves from train to train with little to no sleep.

Jaime saw a train leaving. Lupita is exhausted. She was hoping to rest for a few hours but Jaime is anxious the station doesn't seem safe there are too many illegals crowded around the freight cars you never know what these people are thinking sometimes they come up to you to talk but I never know if that's why I stay as far as possible I've always acted like this on my previous trips what I'm going to do is go to the back of the train so we're ready when I finally make it leave I want to get a freight car for myself I don't want to put them in danger let's walk to the back of the train and we hope we don't get into any trouble Jaime has good reasons to be worried at the beginning of the trip they were attacked by three robbers they attacked us they had machetes they threw us to the ground and stripped us naked what worried me the most were them the women I thought they They were going to rape or abuse me, I prayed to God.

I was upset inside and I thought that if something happened to them, I was ready to die on the spot. Let's fix it, my love, my head hurts. Don't you have aspirin? aspirin, I'll go ask If anyone has any, but don't be scared, I'm here and so is the whole group, everything will be fine, it's fine, my love, we are doing this, we are doing this journey so that we can have a better life in the future. I am very happy with you and I love you with all my heart oh oh one that is the most difficult suddenly the train stops in the middle of the field the cane field will give them their only meal of the day so the other the Salvadorans who travel with them towards the American border they do not know where they are going to settle in the United States Ruth and Blancadora hope to earn enough money to support their family at home their heads are full of dreams because at home in Salvador there is little work and certainly not much pay if There are people who work from six in the morning until six at night.

I only make about five dollars a day. Do you have any idea what you're going to do? She could be a housekeeper or take care of children. Anyway, we'll find a job. I'm sure I could be a waitress in a restaurant. Just as they leave Cordoba, the train stops again due to a mechanical failure. Jaime and his companions are exhausted, Jaime. What are you going to do? Now, I'm going to look for a place to take refuge, uh, to sleep for a while. a while to see if someone can take us in, it's getting late and night falls tomorrow, it's not a question of going to town, the police could arrest them and they shouldn't go too far from the slopes, amit, try to ask for hospitality, um, and I don't want any problems, okay, no, no.

There is a problem, thank you sir, thank you, no one in the neighborhood wants to welcome them in Mexico, the law severely punishes citizens who help illegals for up to six years. prison the group will sleep under the stars the next morning find jaime in the arizaba marshalling yards he is alone hiding under a freight car far from the other immigrants and morale is not high everything will be fine we have made good progress through the hustle and bustle of police everyone knows that comparison here the police presence is like this the arizaba police station seems calm but what jaime doesn't know is that a large number of police officers are patrolling nearby suddenly in the distance he sees the police heading directly towards them to continue his trip jaime only had one solution pay a bribe fifteen 15 for the whole group I was able to solve the problem by giving them a little money to let us pass okay, I'll probably go for a drink To tell the truth, I don't like giving bribes.

I know it's wrong, but it's the only way we can move forward. We wouldn't be here. So, the other day you told me what you wanted. to change your life I have changed my life so what was your life like before yesterday well let's say my life was a little wild the party I am very sorry for the ban on living in the United States thank God I have been thinking about it all ended and I left all my vices one day ago an American judge gave me the opportunity to live in Los Angeles again I would be more than grateful and God believe me if the judges from Los Angeles who sentenced me realize how much I have changed, I am sure that I They would give another chance.

Jaime and his group are still 1,200 miles from the American border, but they will now continue their road trip. It is safer and there are fewer controls. James. He has a Mexican friend, he finds him on the track, they won't see his face, the man doesn't want to take risks, thank you very much so as not to attract the attention of the police, everyone goes to town on their own, Lupita is the first to arrive at this empty apartment, oh. there is a shower a shower velma her friend is exhausted she is laughing and decided to return this is bad news for the group's morale jaime also has bad news to give they have to separate the end of the trip will be by bus it is impossible to travel as six without draw the attention of the police Jaime gives his last advice to Blancadora Francisco and Ruth whom he has guided here and emotions run high and all the suffering we have endured for the rest of the trip, take all that, that is useless, it is not necessary, throw it away before crossing the river, you must get rid of all that stuff and there is one more piece of advice I can give you.

Clean as much as possible use a little perfume, don't really put on the cleanest clothes, I know everyone will make it, may God keep us together and guide and protect us until our last lord and almighty father who is in heaven, will we appreciate it. having stayed together from the moment we met until this day may almighty god protect us for the rest of our journey give us the strength and courage for your last meal together in mexico there is a little taste of america on the bus heading to the border From the United States, Jaime and Lupita travel as a couple.

Their friend Nesta sits three rows in front so as not to attract attention. They have been taking bus after bus for four days. They are finally getting closer to the United States. The border is about 400 miles away, but in this region There are more and more San Diego Tijuana police patrols arriving at Sotola Marina less than 200 miles from the border. They have almost reached their objective but Jaime decides to stop for four days and four nights. They have been observing police patrols. They promised in Spanish that they will spend the night. In this little hotel they say, hey, I have to be alert in case the police or the army launch an operation.

It's better this way we'll rest a little. At least there are about three more hours on the bus to go. They're not many, but the best thing is to stay here tonight. because if the next day Jaime makes his first mistake since leaving Salvador, he gets off the bus at the wrong stop, he doesn't know it, the border is still 100 miles away, they are lost and very exposed and it is a bit complicated to travel and get him Someone help us, this is what this trip is like, they say that after walking 16 miles they finally arrive at a bus stop, the only option will be to stay in this town and ask for hospitality to see if someone can take us in because now it is very cold We are going to

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ze soon an hour later and finally there is a bus that will take them to Matamoros, the town on the border with the United States.

They have arrived. It has been 24 days since they left Salvador and they have traveled almost two thousand five hundred miles of travel. Jaime has decided. not to cross the big river tonight the river that forms the border they are very tired the big day is for tomorrow the next morning there is a surprise that their Salvadoran friends appear if they came here they had agreed to meet at this hotel they are exhausted but happy to be at the border in a few hoursThey will try to cross the river but once again it is everyone for themselves because I can tell you that on the American side there are usually many police patrols and I already have to make Néstor cross and then Lupita, do you understand?

To cross the river we must have something that floats because in this river even good swimmers can drown in a tube yes, I am in a tube or I am a child, but do you think we can find one there? Probably yes, but personally I'm going to buy one here but I say otherwise I'm afraid to cross the river because you're afraid just before leaving the hotel Jaime asks us for our phone number to make an important call to Salvador hey don't forget to make the code and then seven double eight one six one four hello good night sorry for bothering you I'm uh Mr.

Salvador there could I talk to him please Salvador is Lupita's father oh good night sorry for bothering you I'm talking to Mr. Salvador um listen I have to have a very talk Seriously, about Lupita, I can assure you that she is very well, really, sir. I'm Jaime, the married son. Listen, I've been needing to talk to you for a long time about your daughter. You already know that I love her very much and she tells me that you're not happy that I'm going out with her. I know it's hard for you to accept for many reasons, especially because I'm a bit of a tough guy, but I'm a good guy, really, sir.

I'm not a bad boy and I'm also a hard worker no okay I promise don't listen I promise I'm going to take care of her I love her with all my heart I promise you and I'm going to marry her there in Brownsville Texas I intend to get married with your daughter and spend the rest of my life with her, Mr. Salvador. Oh, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I'm at the border, dad, tomorrow we'll be on the other side. Look, yeah, look, the family would never have accepted me now. We are far from them and we have achieved our goal.

We both love each other very much and we are going to be very happy together. I will have a lot of time in the future for his family to accept me. It is three in the morning on the banks of the Rio Grande. The lights in front are brownsville in texas america is right in front of them they still have to swim across the river and lupita and nestor are petrified what is that I don't understand the impression that there are patrols on the other side I think it's okay I think everything will be okay let's not go to cross here there is some kind of bamboo some plants on the other side now you have to hold on to them Get on the bench now if an immigration patrol shows up we have to keep the boy close so we can float back again and not get arrested okay , yes, no, yes, yes, I am very happy, I will cross two.

I know and everything is fine thank God that's great lupita it's fine everything is fine with lupita she's there wait a second I hid her again she's easy to spot do you see any police patrol right now no that's nothing really wait ? Nestor, I'm a little tired, wait, I have to go see you later, huh?