2024-01-02 12:57:05
It’s a popular neighborhood with all kinds of shops and broken sidewalks. On the square in front of the Church of Santa Cruz y la Soledad, in the center of Mexico City (Mexico), tents appear like mushrooms. Their occupants are migrants, engaged in a long journey to the United States, who are taking advantage of a saving stopover.
Some become hairdressers. A Venezuelan barters empanadas for which he has the secret. A Haitian woman cooks in a pot. Inside the church, furniture has been pushed against the old stone walls and hundreds of mattresses wait to be laid out for the night. Volunteers distribute clothes while children play under the nave.
Built by Augustinian friars in the 16th century, the parish of Soledad (solitude, in Spanish) is the seventh to have been established in Mexico City. Built at the end of the 18th century, the current church serves as an oasis for nearly a thousand migrants. «La Soledad has always served the most deprived. When it was built, the Spanish frequented the cathedral, so the natives went here, hence its nickname “parish of the Indians”, explains Father Benito Torres, parish priest. Now it is the refuge of homeless people, prostitutes, the needy and the marginalized, and therefore migrants. » It’s hard to believe that the Parliament and the Cathedral are only a few blocks away.
The refuge for the most needy
A group of Haitians chat on a bench. Joël, 53, had to flee his country, leaving his wife and children. “The gangs have taken control of the town of which I am mayor. Crossing Mexico is very hard, we are extorted by thieves, the police and immigration agents. We had our suitcases, our passports stolen. » A Protestant, he did not hesitate to seek help from this Catholic parish. “We try to integrate here, even if it’s difficult because we don’t speak Spanish. » Here, the majority of occupants are Latin American.
In one corner, doctors from a public clinic have set up a medical office. “Many migrants suffer from foot injuries and lung infections due to the poor conditions of the crossing,” observes a doctor. Williams, a 37-year-old Venezuelan, fake PSG jersey with Mbappé on his back, is exhausted: “During the crossing, we sleep in the stations, under the bridges. I prayed to God every minute for guidance. »
In the backyard, the volunteers bring together around fifty children. They hung a multi-colored piñata so that the little ones hit it with a stick and a myriad of candies fell out. A little joy in a tiring journey.
Angie is breastfeeding her 10-month-old daughter. At 23, she traveled with her three children and her partner. “We fled Honduras because it is threatened by the mafia. We have been here for two months, the conditions are OK, my children have food and clothes. We want to move forward in the coming days and take the train. » The famous Bestia, the freight train on which refugees climb to reach the border with the United States. A crossing from which many do not emerge alive.
“The country is overwhelmed”
In Mexico City, the city hall has only opened one shelter. The hostels created by associations are therefore saturated and exceed their occupancy capacity up to seven times. Cynthia Martinez, coordinator at the UN International Organization for Migration, came to identify the occupants of the place: “The situation is alarming. Every year, Mexico receives more and more people in transit. The country is overwhelmed. »
The Church of La Soledad thus plays a fundamental role in the serious migration crisis that the country is going through. “For two years, we have been receiving many more people, sometimes 1,300 per night, and we are overwhelmed, hence the camp outsidesighs Father Benito Torres. At La Soledad, we only continue the work of mercy of Jesus Christ: clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, and providing shelter to the pilgrim. Even more so during this period, when the Christmas spirit must resurface. »
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