Photo: Margarito Diaz
Sinbad is a young man from France. He joined the caravan in November in Mexico. He is a documentarist and came to help in any way. His opportunity came when they closed the Deportivo Benito Juárez and many refused to go to the new El Barretal shelter. He started raising funds for the caravan on Facebook. When asked what he wanted for the caravan he said, “We all want the same thing, a good quality of life, that’s what I want.”
Photo: Margarito Diaz
Tribuno del Pueblo / People’s Tribune: Tell me your names.
Tania: My name is Tania Lisette. I come from Honduras. I’m 22 years old.
I came to work to give them a good education and life. I came alone. I left my two children in Honduras. I did not want to risk them because they are very small. I have a two-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy. I was afraid to do it because you hear that a lot of girls are being stolen. I was afraid that something like that would happen. I would rather put myself in danger than them. That’s why I came alone. I couldn’t take any chances. I couldn’t risk their lives.
Sandra: I’m Sandra and I come from El Salvador. I’m 24 years old.
I had serious problems. I left the father of my children four years ago. I left my country with my kids six months ago. I went to Chiapas and asked for asylum. When the caravan passed by, I joined. I have two children, a girl of 4 and a boy of seven.
TP: How was traveling in the caravan?
S: What impacted me the most was watching my children suffer. We walked a lot under the sun. My girl complained every moment. She would say, “I do not want to walk anymore.” And my boy would say “Mom, we wake up when it’s barely light and still night. The night it is to sleep. ”
T: We walked in the morning when it was dark and the children were crying.
TP: How did the Mexicans receive you during your trek?
S: There are more good people than bad. There were some who offended us. One time a man passed by us and told me some words … exaggerated. But there are very good people. People lent us bathrooms, gave us food, money, and clothes. We have nothing bad to say about Mexicans because they have treated us very well.
T: I think the same. They have treated us well. We have not been treated badly. They keep helping us out.
S: There are even people who joined the caravan to walk with us. There are many Mexicans who are with us.
TP: How did you feel coming in such a large group?
S: More secure. More support. More help.
T: There were people who watched my daughter cry because she did not want to walk anymore and people said, “Come. I help you. “And they would carry them on their backs.”
A special joint edition of the Tribuno del Pueblo and People’s Tribune
From the editors
Tribuno del Pueblo and People’s Tribune sent correspondents to the U.S-Mexico border at San Ysidro-Tijuana to bring our readers the voices of the migrant caravan that left Central America last October and reached Tijuana, Mexico in December.
The toxic combination of U.S. corporate political and economic policies, cartel violence, the destruction of their crops due to climate change and the corruption of their own government is forcing thousands of working people to leave Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
We’ve gathered the stories of the migrants and of the first responders in the battle against the wall and for human rights in this special issue. We thank all those who shared their stories and gave us their time, generosity and inspiration.
Our responsibility as faith-based activists, workers and human rights warriors is to do everything in our power to make sure that our government respects and upholds the human rights of the migrants. Our responsibility as human beings is to open our arms and welcome our sisters and brothers, just as others did before us.
No human being is illegal.
