Living in squalor, Guatemalan mudslide survivors see stark choice: Emigrate to U.S. or die
After heavy rain, a girl hauls wood for cooking in the makeshift settlement of Nuevo Queja in Guatemala.(Rodrigo Abd / Associated Press)
BY ALBERTO ARCE AND RODRIGO ABD ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUG. 10, 2021 3:51 AM PT
NUEVO QUEJA, Guatemala The day before he left for the United States was a busy one for Victor Cal. He went from relative to relative, collecting money to buy food during the journey north.
His mother was inconsolable. I begged him not to go, that we could live here, she said, again and again, but the decision had already been made.
He and his parents shared a small lunch a couple of chiles with sesame seeds in silence. His mothers gloom weighed upon him; he announced he had to find somewhere to charge his phone to receive calls so the coyote can tell me where and when we will finally meet.
He set off on a bumpy, dirt road, looking to hitch a ride to any place with electricity. A motorbike pulled over and drove him to the nearest outlet, miles away.
More:
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-10/survivors-guatemalan-mudslide-face-death-or-emigration