5 February 2024
Last Saturday through Wednesday, our group had the opportunity to visit Huehuetenango and Jacaltenango, both located in the Western highlands of Guatemala. The five to six-hour drive to Huehuetenango was rough for those who get carsick easily, but beautiful as we observed tree-laden mountains and stunning volcanoes along the way. In Huehuetenango, we stopped to visit the archeological site Zaculeu, which had ancient Mayan temples we
could climb. Unfortunately, the original temples were covered in concrete, turning them into a playground for tourists. The beauty of the original structures will now always be hidden under a “modern” shell. I wonder what other historical and cultural sites have been “fixed” to accommodate tourist interest. After lunch, we drove about four more hours to Jacaltenango, a beautiful area full of trees and with small streets that our bus struggled to fit in. While we were in Jacaltenango, we visited Rio Azul, swam in a pool, and ate street food at the Féria there.
I think that for many, the beginning of the trip represented a break from the full schedule of classes and a chance to explore more of Guatemala. However, the overall purpose of the trip was much more important than seeing more breathtaking scenery. On Monday we visited Pop No’j, an organization that empowers Mayan
communities by encouraging their participation in advocating for their rights and accompanying them in their journey to have a better life. They also walk alongside children and adolescents who have been deported or returned voluntarily from the United States. To start our activities with them, they invited us to participate in a Mayan practice, where six candles of different colors are lit to recognize the energy that the day carries.
After learning about their various programs, we met with Robby and Ari, a family they have worked with. Robby is a twelve-year-old boy who migrated to the United States with his mom but had to take care of himself there, because his mom had to work. Because of this lack of support, he along with an older cousin, journeyed back to Guatemala together. His older sister, Ari, who is now his guardian, shared that he had a lot of trauma when he returned. When asked about the migration process, she said that the migration journey is not worth it because it affects everyone and only creates more trauma for families. She believes that there needs to be more investment in communities here, because otherwise, people will continue migrating for any possible chance of a better life. I am grateful for the family’s willingness to share, and I think it was an important reminder of the impact migration has on kids and young adults. We have to remember that they are one story of many and that many children do not have support from organizations like Pop No’j or family members once they return.
The next day we were going to visit one of the borders between Guatemala and Mexico. However, because narcotraffickers had taken over the highway it was recommended that we not go. Our group was privileged to have connections that warned us of the narco takeover, but many migrants do not have that opportunity. Regardless, many people in transit would continue even if there was danger to their safety or a huge risk of extortion and physical violence. While we were leaving Jacaltenango, our bus was stopped by the police to check our driver’s papers. We learned that police routinely stop bigger vehicles, because they are checking for any migrants who might be aboard. I cannot imagine the fear that people must face every time a bus they are on is stopped. If they are caught, they will be returned to the country they left.
Before this trip, I had not thought in depth about what the process of returning to a country after deportation would be like. On Thursday we met with the organization TE CONECTA, who help people get jobs after being returned. We learned that one to three chartered planes of around 100 deported people arrive each day in Guatemala. That means that around 100,000 people are returned to the country they left every year, and those numbers are just for Guatemala. Around 70% of people who returned were stopped at some point on their journey and 30% were already living in the United States. When people arrive at the Guatemala airport after having usually been detained for weeks or months, they are given a speech and then just sent off onto the street. TE CONECTA always has someone at the airport who helps with phone calls for families and connecting people with their services. They help people with getting the necessary documentation for jobs, because often people return without any form of I.D. or resume with them.
Our last meeting with an organization this past week was at Casa del Migrante. They are a shelter mainly for people who are in transit and can house 100-120 people each day. They shared with us that hearing the stories of people is often very difficult. Right now, a lot of people are leaving Venezuela and have to cross the jungle to reach Guatemala. Around 1,500-2,000 people try to cross the jungle between Colombia and Panama, and around 75-100 die daily. Before we left, I noticed a sign on the wall in Casa del Migrante that said “Ninguna persona es ilegal” (No person is illegal). The sign to me felt like a reaffirmation of people’s dignity. Many people are fleeing because they do not have economic opportunities or they are escaping violence, but those are only two of the many reasons for migration. People have gone through a physically and mentally draining experience and every step of the way they are met with dehumanizing rhetoric. While what we learned is only a small part of the migration process I would encourage people to do more research on migration and approach the topic with an open mind.
-Ella Brubaker
More Information on what we have learned about migration:
- https://greatcities.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Current-Migrant-Crisis-Report-Finalized-2.pdf
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/4/the-price-of-passage-migrants-fear-threat-of-extortion-in-guatemala
Information on the organizations we visited:
-Pop No’j: https://www.asociacionpopnoj.org/
-Te CONECTA: https://www.teconecta.org.gt/
-Casa del Migrante: https://scalabriniguate.org/homepage/
