Public Project
Southern Border
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, USA, 2017-2021
For Le Monde, Rendez-Vous Photo, Amnesty International, El Pais, Bloomberg.
The inauguration of Donald Trump as 45 President of the United States took place on Friday, January 20, 2017. Among his shocking proposals, the candidate had promised the construction of a "Great Wall" at the border between the United States and Mexico to effectively protect his country from all kinds of scourges: irregular emigration and drug importation. During these four years of presidency, violence in the countries of the northern triangle of Central America (Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala) and the policies of the Trump government have led migrants to a dramatic situation of non-return. By brandishing the threat of an increase in taxes on Mexican exports, Trump succeeded in putting pressure on his southern neighbour to contain the migratory waves on its southern border by deploying the National Guard and carrying out massive police arrests against migrants. With this blackmail, Trump subcontracted the control of access to its territory to Mexico.
"The border of the United States begins in the south of Mexico. This is how Central American, Cuban, Haitian and African migrants tell the story of their journey to achieve the American dream.It all starts at the border between Mexico and Guatemala on makeshift rafts launched on the Rio Suchiate before walking for days on end and venturing out on "La Bestia", the famous freight train that crosses the country. Avoiding the Mexican migration police, alone or in caravans, despite the long journey and the many dangers, thousands of migrants take this route every day to flee the gangs and violence that plague their respective countries. A migration route that changes from day to day, depending on the mood, politics or police pressure of the countries of the North. Migrants lose their money, their dignity and sometimes even their lives.
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