Caravans of central american migrants and refugees. A feminism to embrace the flight of those who seek to preserve life

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a process of research based on accompaniment and active listening carried out within the framework of the Migrant Caravans and refugees in transit through Mexico, composed mostly of families displaced from the terror of widespread violence, misery, impunity and dictatorial political regimes. This exodus was composed of contingents of between 2 thousand and 12 thousand people –per respective caravan– that crossed Central America between October 2018 and April 2019. These caravans sought to reach the southern border of the United States in order to “surrender” themselves to U.S. Border Patrol as claimants of political asylum and/or refuge. These Caravans were first confined for months along the border in northern Mexico and, since April 2019, have been dismantled with military strategies by the newly-created National Guard of the Mexican government.