"La Bestia"—The Train of Hope and Peril
Known among migrants as La Bestia (“The Beast”), this freight train hauls goods across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. For many people fleeing their home countries with no money, La Bestia is the only possible route to the U.S. border—despite the fact that riding it is illegal under Mexican law.
The journey is not only difficult—it is often deadly. Migrants who climb aboard this train face extreme risks: kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and in many cases, death in the desert before they ever reach their destination.
Most of those who take this dangerous path come from some of the most violent regions in the world—countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. In these places, life has become so untenable that embarking on such a treacherous journey becomes the only option for survival.
The vast majority of migrants are forced to leave due to the grip of violent criminal groups that control entire communities. This violence is rooted in decades of poverty, systemic neglect, and a long history of failed or exploitative policies—both from Central American governments and from repeated interventions by the United States.
While violence is the main driver, other factors like government repression and the lack of economic opportunity also push people to flee.
I began these journeys to follow and document the path of Central American migrants in their pursuit of a better, more peaceful life.
Over more eight years documenting this phenomenon, I’ve had the privilege of meeting and sharing the road with many brave individuals—Alexi, Fredy, Jonatan, Karina and her young daughter from Honduras; ‘Juancho’ from Guatemala; Ventura, Liliana, and her mother from El Salvador—and countless others who have risked everything to find a glimmer of hope.
