Lorena

Tetitla, Zontecomatlán, Veracruz (Náhuatl)

On September 24, 2022, there was a community assembly held specifically to share the results of interviews Fomento conducted as part of the Ambulantes project. To complement this information, Fomento presented a video with testimonies of jornaleros and jornaleras sharing their working experiences.

Approximately 90 people attended the assembly including men, women, and youths. At the end of the discussion several women approached to ask which organizations can support in cases of migrant disappearances or when there are irregularities in the labor conditions on ranches. These are the testimonies from that assembly.

Lorena was worried because at the beginning of September her 18-year-old brother went to Villa de Artista in the municipality of San Luis Potosí, but after a week he ran away together with another two boys.

Two weeks ago, she talked with them to see if they were alright, however now, the family doesn’t know where they are and does not have a way to communicate with them. Lorena mentioned that the information which Radio Huaya is sharing is important to help them be better informed.

Another comment was from Lupe, who shared that two weeks ago ten people had returned from Guadalajara because the contractor had backed out of their agreement. They were not given enough food and were not paid as per the initial agreement. This demonstrates that the population is frequently the victim of fraud and cheating. It’s important that before leaving, people inform local authorities and their families of where they are going, and which company has contracted them. Provided that the people are aware of this information.