Desperate Migrants Ride the 'Train of Death' All For a Piece of The American Dream

01/05/2013

The freight train known as The Beast travels from the southern Mexican town of Arriaga up to Mexico City.

And every day hundreds of migrants, mostly from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras or Nicaragua, sit on top of the notorious train, often for days at a time.

It is also known as the Train Of Death. Riding precariously on top of the moving containers, migrants are often maimed or killed if they fall due to dehydration or fatigue.

Then there is the human threat. These vulnerable travelers have been increasingly targeted by criminal gangs, people smugglers, kidnappers and corrupt officials.

Train of death: Migrants ride on top of a northern bound train in southern Mexico on Monday.

The Beast: Migrants walk along the tracks after getting off a train during their dangerous journey.

Risk: The desperate travelers, mostly from Central America, cling to the roof and sides of the freight train.

Ride the Train of Death

COURTESY:YouTube.

Driven by poverty at home many are hoping for a better life in the U.S. The journey north take leads them closer to the Mexican border with the United States.

According to Amnesty Internationalthousands of migrants are ill-treated, abducted or raped.

When the travelers reach Mexico City, more organized criminals are often lying in wait.Jorgé Andrade told theIndependentthat gangs charge the migrants to get to shelter.

'If they don’t pay, they kidnap, beat them, ask for sexual favors. In the worst case, they’ll be forced to work for the gangs or be killed.' Andrade said.

Aid: Residents toss food to migrants riding on top of the northern bound train in southern Mexico on Monday.

Stoppage: The migrants are maimed or worse if they fall off the train when it is in motion.

Hopeful: Men on top of the train acknowledge the photographer.

Vulnerable: The travelers are targeted by organized criminals and corrupt officials.

Long journey: The riders can stay on the train for days on end.

Heading north: The Beast passes through southern Mexico.

Help: Locals throw food to the migrants.

Countryside: The freight train passes through the Mexican fauna on its way north.

Risky: Traveling on the train of death.

First leg: This train ends up in Mexico City.

Catch: The travelers gratefully receive the food.

You will view various short videos about “La Bestia” or the “Train of Death” and fill in the matrix.

Here are some choices in Spanish:

  • Salvadoreños en la bestia, para otros el tren de la esperanza, lágrinas
  • Mujeres Cruzando Fronteras (1):
  • Mujeres Cruzando Fronteras (2):
  • Mujeres en el camino (Parte II):

Here are some choices in English:

  • Desperate migrants ride the 'Train of Death' all for a piece of the American Dream:
  • Mexico’s Train of Death:
  • Migrant Train of Death:
  • Amnesty International video "Migrants on the Move in Mexico"