Maquiladora Worker Says Job No Longer Worth Risk

One man feeling the effects of Mexico’s violence worked on the front lines at a maquiladora in Reynosa. He felt he had no choice but to give up his livelihood. He worked on the outskirts of Reynosa for three years. He says the fear of being caught in the crossfire became too much to bear. Workers at maquiladoras in Mexico are not immune to the violence there. The widespread danger has left them victims of a country at war. A man we'll call Miguel experienced it first-hand. Miguel, whose identity is being concealed for his own safety, says working south of the border became high risk and low reward. "It is disturbing to go through this on a daily basis. It's almost like working for a funeral home," says Miguel. Miguel managed the maquiladora's operations. It wasn't the work that weighed on his mind. It was the danger he faced getting there. He says checkpoints were set up by the military, only he couldn't tell the good guys from the bad. He tried taking safety precautions so he wouldn't be noticed. "Changing your routes, changing your times that were recommended to me, but it gets to the point they have people watching at every corner. They have people sitting on corner blocks knowing when you come in and when you come out. They know," says Miguel...more