Desperate Guatemalans ‘risking their lives’ in journey to US

Facing hunger and economic crisis at home, migrants say they have little hope – and no choice but to leave for US.

Campur, Guatemala – The water from the late November storms had not yet begun to subside in the rural village of Campur when Michelle’s husband, Byron, decided to leave for the United States. Nestled in a lush valley in the San Pedro Carcha municipality, in northern Guatemala nearly 170 miles (270 kilometres) from Guatemala City, Campur’s streets were flooded by heavy rains brought by Hurricane Eta. At its peak, the water reached 12 metres in some places, submerging houses, possessions, animals and crops, and leaving only the church steeple above the waterline. Michelle and Byron – who did not want their real names used due to concerns it could affect Byron’s immigration status in the US – and their three children were among the nearly 600 families in Campur that lost everything.