The Beast's amputees

Evert Rodríguez, migrante hondureño, descansa en el albergue para migrantes amputados Casa ABBA, ubicado en Celaya, Guanajuato, el 14 de julio de 2022. El albergue fue fundado en 2015 por el pastor Ignacio Martínez Ramírez, con el objetivo de brindar refugio, atención médica, asesoría legal y psicológica a migrantes en tránsito y que, durante su trayecto, han perdido alguna extremidad en su intento por llegar a la frontera con Estados Unidos. Evert Rodríguez, um migrante hondurenho, descansa no abrigo Casa ABBA para migrantes amputados, localizado em Celaya, Guanajuato, em 14 de julho de 2022. O abrigo foi fundado em 2015 pelo pastor Ignacio Martínez Ramírez, com o objetivo de fornecer abrigo, assistência médica, aconselhamento jurídico e psicológico a migrantes em trânsito e que, durante sua jornada, perderam um membro na tentativa de chegar à fronteira com os EUA. Evert Rodríguez, a Honduran migrant, rests at the Casa ABBA shelter for amputee migrants, located in Celaya, Guanajuato, on July 14, 2022. The shelter was founded in 2015 by Pastor Ignacio Martínez Ramírez, with the aim of providing shelter, medical care, legal and psychological counseling to migrants in transit and who, during their journey, have lost a limb in their attempt to reach the border with the United States.

Vista aérea de las vías del tren que atraviesan el municipio de Celaya, en Guanajuato, el 14 de julio de 2022. En Celaya se encuentra Casa ABBA, albergue fundado en 2015 por el pastor Ignacio Martínez Ramírez, con el objetivo de brindar refugio, atención médica, asesoría legal y psicológica a migrantes en tránsito y que, durante su trayecto, han perdido alguna extremidad en su intento por llegar a la frontera con Estados Unidos. Vista aérea dos trilhos de trem que cruzam o município de Celaya, em Guanajuato, em 14 de julho de 2022. Celaya abriga a Casa ABBA, um abrigo fundado em 2015 pelo pastor Ignacio Martínez Ramírez, com o objetivo de oferecer abrigo, assistência médica, aconselhamento jurídico e psicológico a migrantes em trânsito e que, durante sua jornada, perderam um membro em sua tentativa de chegar à fronteira com os Estados Unidos. Aerial view of the train tracks that cross the municipality of Celaya, in Guanajuato, on July 14, 2022. Celaya is home to Casa ABBA, a shelter founded in 2015 by Pastor Ignacio Martínez Ramírez, with the aim of providing shelter, medical care, legal and psychological counseling to migrants in transit and who, during their journey, have lost a limb in their attempt to reach the border with the United States.

Leaving their country of origin because of violence and poverty is just one of the first tragedies faced by thousands of Central and South American migrants who leave in the hope of reaching the American dream. Transiting through Mexico has become, perhaps, the most dangerous route to achieve that goal due to the multiple raids made by immigration agents, because of the extortions, aggressions and kidnappings they suffer at the hands of criminal groups and because of the accidents that so many people have suffered during their journey in one of the most known freight trains to reach the border with the United States, “La Bestia” (The Beast).

Migrants travel on the roofs of the cars, which they climb onto when the train slows down. The danger of falling asleep, the constant assaults or the derailment of the train are some of the reasons why many fall and lose some of their limbs. That is when the dream is extinguished for most of them.

Many of the migrants who have suffered an amputation decide to stay in Mexico, cared for in shelters and with the hope of trying their luck again at some other time. One such shelter is run by Pastor Ignacio Martinez in the city of Celaya, Guanajuato. Here, people sign up for theater classes and receive physical and psychological treatment. Martinez provides shelter to one of the most vulnerable populations, mutilated migrants, mostly from Honduras. There they are channeled to a rehabilitation center, where they are given a prosthesis free of charge and receive physiotherapy to regain some mobility.

Santiago Alvarez decided to return to Honduras, his country of origin, after falling off the train and losing one of his legs. He now tells his story from Matapalo, a community in the Honduran department of Choluteca, where he sought the support of an association that helps migrants and managed to get a new prosthesis thanks to a program supported by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), through the Foundation for Integral Rehabilitation Vida Nueva, which turned its support to the growing number of migrants who returned with some of their limbs amputated after their attempt to reach the United States.