In most parts of Latin America, the lack of job opportunities, limited access to education and political corruption have fuelled cycles of violence and displacement that are both symptoms and causes of broken societies.
I have documented this phenomenon over the past seven years, travelling along migration routes from Venezuela to Colombia, Central and South America, to Mexico and the United States.
Having followed migrants from different countries for a long time, I have witnessed stories of loss and separation through the eyes of the most vulnerable: those who are born, grow up and die on the journey, and those who are deported.
Despite the different reasons that drive each population to emigrate, decades of civil war, endemic poverty or violence have produced forced displacement in most societies in the Americas, making it difficult for migrants to find better conditions than those fleeing to any other country and polarising their movement towards the United States.
Crossing border areas controlled by gangs and rebel groups exposes people to exploitation and forced recruitment. Some never reach their destination. Others continue to move, often on foot, in the hope of finding a place to start a new chapter in their lives. Still others are detained and deported.
