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La Bestia - Hitching a ride on the Death Train

December 3, 2021

For thousands of migrants, hitching a ride on a freight train is the fastest way to get to the USA. But this route is also one of the most perilous.

https://p.dw.com/p/43n1D
Migranten in Mexiko
Image: Getty Images/J.Moore
Mexiko Frauengruppe Las Patronas
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Schemidt

Just getting on and off "the Death Train,” also known as "La Bestia,” or "the Beast,” is dangerous. Each year, untold numbers of people land on the tracks, where they can be run over, killed or maimed. Those who do manage to hitch a ride are preyed upon by criminal gangs. 

 

La Bestia - Mit dem Todeszug Richtung USA
Image: NZZ

Despite these dangers, people from Central America keep trying. They know they are risking their lives. But sheer desperation drives them from their homelands - most often in Honduras, El Salvador, or Guatemala. In the United States, they hope to find a land of endless opportunities. 

 

Migranten auf Güterzug "La Bestia" Richtung USA
Image: DW/A. Williams

Every year, an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 migrants hitch a ride on one of the Death Trains. No one knows how many are injured or killed along the way. Joe Biden’s presidency gave many hope that things would change, and he would ease the harsh migration policies put in place by his predecessor. But those who do make it to the US border find this hope quickly dashed.
 

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