~ This article was published by La Jornada de Veracruz on September 26, 2015 ~

Unable to board or remain on the train for the entire part of its route through the south of the state, Central American migrants have opted to walk to reach the United States and because of that municipalities such as Pajapan, Tatahuicapan, and Mecayapan have become a part of the passage for migrants, says Ramón García, member of the Center for Human Rights “Bety Cariño”.

In an interview, the human rights advocate indicated that previously it was common practice for Central Americans to climb on top of the train, but the strategy of the Ferrosur company, which has begun erecting fences and implementing surveillance systems and guards on the tracks, has forced the migrants to change their routes.

It takes 10 or 15 days to walk around the most dangerous areas, above all the coastal municipalities such as Isla, where criminal groups are actively monitoring migrants on the route and extort and kidnap them, asking for tolls, and because of this the migrants are seeking other paths.

That is why the mountain municipalities are now required routes for migrants, because they are safer and there are no problems with the residents of Pajapan, Mecayapan, and Tatahuicapan, where, furthermore, there is solidarity with Central American migrants.

On another topic, he noted that with the disappearance of intermunicipality police and the launch of the Mando Único (Unified Police Force) violence has increased in Coatzacoalcos, Minatitlán, and Las Choapas, where there are a great number of people executed and disappeared, but people are afraid and do not file complaints, which is why government statistics are recording a drop in reports.

Translation by Michael Lettieri, Trans-Border Institute

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