Rodrigo Cruz

Photographer

Central American migrants through Mexico

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Location: Mexico

Nationality: Mexican

Biography: Rodrigo Cruz was born in Mexico City in 1974. He studied Visual Arts in National Autonomous University of Mexico. He is a documentary photographer and currently works on issues of environment and migration. His work has been published in The New... MORE

Focus: Photographer, Photojournalist, Videographer, Travel, Sports, Environment, Illustrator, Documentary, Multimedia, Video, Film, Photography, Illustration, Stock, Culture, Director of Photography, Arts & Culture, Freelance, Civil Rights and Social Inequality, Humanitarian, Assignments, Teacher, Human Rights, Artist, Feature Films, Education, Animation, Editorial, Visual Artist, Outdoor adventure, Audio Visuals, Still Photographer, Sports/Action, Reportage, Visual Journalist, Visual Storyteller, Visual Storytelling

A man holds a little girl for c...lisman, Mexico, April 18, 2013.

A man holds a little girl for crossing the border under the Talisman checkpoint between Guatemala and Mexico illegally, in Talisman, Mexico, April 18, 2013.

The Suchiate River in the borde...algo, Mexico, January 24, 2008.

The Suchiate River in the border of Mexico and Guatemala is the black market point between both countries, and also allows the crossing of thousands of Central American migrants who have the goal of reaching to United States, in Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico, January 24, 2008.

Liseth Elvira Lopez Hernandez, ...achula, Mexico, April 20, 2013.

Liseth Elvira Lopez Hernandez, 22, after two months of recovery, rests into a room of the Albergue Buen Pastor. Her husband was killed in a car accident years ago in Guatemala, after that, Elvira attempted to reach the U.S. but fell down from the train on movement and lost her right leg, in Tapachula, Mexico, April 20, 2013.

Carlos Ortez from El Salvador r...alcos, Mexico, October 6, 2008.

Carlos Ortez from El Salvador rests inside a shelter for migrants, after several days traveled through mountains and villages inside Mexico; behind on the wall, a painting of Virgin of Guadalupe in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, October 6, 2008.

At morning, a migrant shaves hi...iaga, Mexico, January 20, 2008.

At morning, a migrant shaves his face before to leave the shelter where the migrants stay for some days for resting. Many shelters across Mexico help to the migrants during their journey to reach to United States. Arriaga, Mexico, January 20, 2008.

Central American migrants gathe...co, Mexico, September 20, 2008.

Central American migrants gather around a campfire to warm their hands while wait the departure time of the train to continue their journey to the north, in State of Mexico, Mexico, September 20, 2008.

A Honduran immigrant smokes a c...exico, Mexico, August 20, 2008.

A Honduran immigrant smokes a cigarette and cover himself from the raining with a piece of cardboard while waits beside of the railroad to climb "the beast" or "train of death", referring to the freight train where thousands of migrants travel with the intention of reaching to United States, in State of Mexico, Mexico, August 20, 2008.

A Honduran immigrant couple emb..., in Mexico City, May 20, 2008.

A Honduran immigrant couple embraces next to the railroad while waits for the train, in Mexico City, May 20, 2008.

A young migrant with a backpack..., in Mexico City, May 20, 2008.

A young migrant with a backpack walks waiting for the train around loading station. At this moment, he achieved to arrive to Mexico City, however there is still a long journey to do for reaching the U.S. border, in Mexico City, May 20, 2008.

A migrant climb up to the train...f Mexico, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

A migrant climb up to the train in movement. Migrants fall down on the train tracks frequently and suffer serious injuries where lose their legs, arms, even their lives, in State of Mexico, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

A migrant picks up a piece of c...f Mexico, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

A migrant picks up a piece of cardboard that will use later to protect himself from the cold while travels at top of train, in State of Mexico, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

Migrants atop the freight train...iaga, Mexico, January 21, 2008.

Migrants atop the freight trains travel without protection. They are vulnerable to be hit by trees, wind, rain and hot sun, so the tiredness sometimes overcomes and fall down on tracks. The dream ends. That dream of supporting to their families that left behind. in Arriaga, Mexico, January 21, 2008.

The wagons at the train station... Orizaba, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

The wagons at the train station are the hiding place for migrants who remain hidden for several days while wait for the train departure to continue their journey to the north of Mexico, in Orizaba, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

People watch inside of a room t...ales, Mexico, October 13, 2008.

People watch inside of a room that was used to hide migrants kidnapped by a group of criminals and the police, in Lara Grajales, Mexico, October 13, 2008.

Clothes and shoes of Centro Ame...ales, Mexico, October 13, 2008.

Clothes and shoes of Centro American migrants who were kidnapped during some days in Lara Grajales, Mexico, October 13, 2008.

Inside of the Casa del Migrante...ula, Mexico, February 22, 2013.

Inside of the Casa del Migrante Scalabrini, three Honduran migrants observe in a Mexico’s map the route to reach the United States, in Tapachula, Mexico, February 22, 2013.

A migrant recovers in the Casa ...rriaga, Mexico, April 17, 2013.

A migrant recovers in the Casa del Migrante after a mouth surgery after a many days of toothache, in Arriaga, Mexico, April 17, 2013.

Two people walk by a dirt road ...uana, Mexico, on March 3, 2009.

Two people walk by a dirt road beside the fence and border wall Mexico -U.S. The new border fence in the border between Mexico and US, has watchtowers and video cameras capable of recording at night, this makes the traffic in arms and drugs is more difficult, and even more for immigrants attempting to cross into the United States, in Tijuana, Mexico, on March 3, 2009.

A group of migrants gather besi...co, Mexico, September 20, 2008.

A group of migrants gather beside train tracks under a bridge near to Mexico City where they have to bear the cold at dawn and be alert when train is getting close, in State of Mexico, Mexico, September 20, 2008.

A man watches through a hole th...er 11, 2009 in Tijuana, Mexico.

A man watches through a hole the movements of the U.S. Border Patrol and overnight waits patiently for the right moment to jump up the wall that separates Mexico from the United States, on November 11, 2009 in Tijuana, Mexico.

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Thumbnail of A man holds a little girl for cr_alisman, Mexico, April 18, 2013.

Thumbnail of The Suchiate River in the border_dalgo, Mexico, January 24, 2008.

Thumbnail of Liseth Elvira Lopez Hernandez, 2_pachula, Mexico, April 20, 2013.

Thumbnail of Carlos Ortez from El Salvador re_oalcos, Mexico, October 6, 2008.

Thumbnail of At morning, a migrant shaves his_riaga, Mexico, January 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of Central American migrants gather_ico, Mexico, September 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of A Honduran immigrant smokes a ci_Mexico, Mexico, August 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of A Honduran immigrant couple embr_n, in Mexico City, May 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of A young migrant with a backpack _r, in Mexico City, May 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of A migrant climb up to the train _of Mexico, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of A migrant picks up a piece of ca_of Mexico, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of Migrants atop the freight trains_riaga, Mexico, January 21, 2008.

Thumbnail of The wagons at the train station _n Orizaba, Mexico, May 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of People watch inside of a room th_jales, Mexico, October 13, 2008.

Thumbnail of Clothes and shoes of Centro Amer_jales, Mexico, October 13, 2008.

Thumbnail of Inside of the Casa del Migrante _hula, Mexico, February 22, 2013.

Thumbnail of A migrant recovers in the Casa d_Arriaga, Mexico, April 17, 2013.

Thumbnail of Two people walk by a dirt road b_juana, Mexico, on March 3, 2009.

Thumbnail of A group of migrants gather besid_ico, Mexico, September 20, 2008.

Thumbnail of A man watches through a hole the_ber 11, 2009 in Tijuana, Mexico.

Public Story

Central American migrants through Mexico

Date of Work Jan 2008 - May 2016

Updated Jul 2020

Location México City

Topics Borders, Documentary, Editorial, Essays, Human Rights, Immigration, Latin America, Migration, NGO, Photography, photojournalism, Poverty

I shoot this photo essay some years ago about the Central American migration through Mexico with the goal of reaching the United States to offer a better life to their loved ones.

The Mexico-United States migratory corridor is the largest in the world (IOM, 2018).
The displacements of Guatemalans, Salvadorans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans through Mexico to reach the United States have marked the migratory dynamics in Mesoamerica for more than 30 years.

In the last decade, these irregular migratory movements to the United States have occurred in a context of increased insecurity and, therefore, greater vulnerability of migrants in the face of threats of extortion, assault, rape, kidnapping and even homicide, among other. This situation has been accentuated and aggravated by the increase in violence in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, as well as by the increasing hardening of border control in the southern United States and the retention of undocumented migrants by the Mexican government throughout the country (ITAM).

In these days a caravan has spend a month on the road, after gruelling walks across Mexico’s southwest. An estimated of 8,000 people are traveling through Mexico in order to reach the United States border; this caravan began as a single group, but it now has been fragmented in small groups. Migrants are now seeking to move faster but they hasn't lost their goal to the north border.

In anticipation of the Honduran migrant caravan crossing the United States-Mexico border, President Donald Trump ordered 5,600 troops to the border.
Most of the troops are in Texas the southern border's most heavily trafficked section. Others are spread along other sectors in California and Arizona.

My plan is to document the journey of the caravan to the United States border and to find the stories of the migrants that will help us to understand their motives. I also plan to go to Honduras or El Salvador to meet the families that these migrants left behind.

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