La Bestia, la tragedia de migrantes centroamericanos en México

by Pedro Ultreras, Alejandro Solalinde Guerra (Contributor), Emilio Álvarez Icaza (Preface)

"La bestia, la tragedia de migrantes centroamericanos en México", es un libro que expande y profundiza lo visto en el documental la Bestia, y expone con más detalle las dificultades, los peligros y sentimientos que enfrentan miles de seres humanos que salen desde sus países de origen en Centroamérica para transitar por una de las rutas más arriesgadas y violentas de todo el mundo para migrantes indocumentados. Como escritor, Pedro Ultreras se vale del profuso material producido durante y después de la filmación de su película y lo transfiere a una dimensión más amplia, narrando las aventuras, los peligros y las hazañas vividas por los migrantes y por él mismo -montado también sobre la bestia- a través del temible trayecto que estos osados seres humanos siguen en pos de una prosperidad económica que con frecuencia los lleva a un trágico desenlace de sus planes. Así, el documentalista mexicano presenta en este libro un recuento de los sucesos más recientes como la atroz masacre de migrantes en Tamaulipas en 2010, la dramática caravana de familias en busca de migrantes desparecidos en 2011, así como un análisis de la primera ley de migración expedida por el gobierno mexicano que a principios del 2012 aún no se implementa. "La bestia, la tragedia de migrantes centroamericanos en México" (The beast, the tragedy of Central American migrants in Mexico) is a book that expands and goes in depth about what was seen in the documental "The Beast," exposing in detail the difficulties, the dangers and the feelings faced by thousands of human beings who leave their home countries in Central America. They travel through one of the most risky and violent routes in the world for undocumented immigrants as they cross through Mexico on top of "la bestia" (or the beast), as the perilous freight trains they ride to try to make it to the United States is called. Journalist, filmmaker and author, Pedro Ultreras (7 Soles, 2007) makes use of the profuse material he produced during and after the shooting of his documentary "The Beast" and transfers it to a deeper dimension, narrating the adventures, the hazards and the deeds lived by these migrants and himself -as he also rides "the beast" along migrants- go through on the dreadful journey that these daring men and women follow in pursuit of an economic prosperity that often leads them to a tragic outcome of their plans. La bestia, la tragedia de migrantes centroamericanos en México is a well-documented book that serves as a historical record of the most recent events about of the phenomenon of Central American migration, as well as gathers the testimonies of the migrants he meets along the "migrant's route", presenting his chilling interviews with men and women who desperately seek to reach the U.S. In this book, Ultreras presents a summary of the 2010 atrocious mass massacre of migrants in Mexico, the 2011 dramatic caravan of Central American family members seeking their missing relatives in Mexico, as well as a brief analysis of the first ever immigration law the Mexican government enacted in the wake of the mass killings of migrants. La bestia, la tragedia de migrantes centroamericanos en México is profusely enriched with photographs taken by the author.

226 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2012

Reviews

[Hugo Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro crudo, honesto y directo, el limite de la humanidad siempre va en dos bandas, lo bueno y malo. Momentos, travesías, experiencias que solo trauman, mutilan, matan al migrante centroamericano, ese que tanto sueña con un mejor futuro para sus hijos o padres, hermanos o nietos, igual que nuestro primo, tía o papá que emigra a Estados Unidos. El infierno esta en nuestro país, con nuestra indiferencia a la frontera sur que ha crecido exponencialmente en abusos, secuestros, corrupción en contra de los migrantes, unas instituciones rebasadas que solo son aminoradas por las decenas de personas que ayudan en los albergues de la ruta del migrante, doloroso compendio de relatos que pasan cada noche desde Chiapas hasta la frontera norte.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abolish borders. No one is illegal on stolen land.

[Laura Albero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sobrecogedor

[Rory Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sobering and tragic, and Ultreras put in an amazing and heroic effort to collect these stories. Aside from the difficulty of working through story after depressing story, though, the writing itself just wasn't very engaging for me - despite the empathy the migrants demand - and the book started to seem very repetitive and long. It also seemed to be mainly an account of what happens along the path of "the beast" than a call for specific change (with a few exceptions). That's fine, but also seems like a missed opportunity. Maybe the translation (or the movie) is better.

[Jorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

El libro mas complicado para leer...