Life on the tracks – Katie Orlinsky
Life on the Tracks: Central American Migration in Mexico
Thousands of undocumented Central American migrants journey across Mexico every year, risking their lives in the hope of reaching the United States. They come from countries such as Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, where free trade economic policies have devastated local economies forcing men and women to leave their homes in search of a better life in the United States and Canada.
The journey often begins by crossing into Mexican border states such as Chiapas and Tabasco, and continues by riding freight trains known as “the beast.” Train schedules are erratic, and migrants can spend anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks waiting in train yards that have grown increasingly dangerous.
Many migrants are victims of robbery, kidnapping, rape and extortion along the train route. They are forced to pay off everyone from thieves and gang-members to immigration officials and police on a regular basis, facing dire consequences if they do not cooperate. Due to the Drug War and the importance of human trafficking in the narco-economy, brutal treatment of migrants is currently at an all time high.
Katie Orlinsky is a photojournalist from New York City. She regularly works for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and various non-profit organizations around the world. Her work has been published in Life, Newsweek, Le Monde, Stern, Time, Adbusters and the International Herald Tribune among others. Katie graduated from the Colorado College with a BA in Political Science and Latin American Studies. She is currently a fellow of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University and is represented by Corbis Images.
Link: katieorlinsky.com
Via: lalettredelaphotographie.com