{"id":467741,"date":"2026-02-14T06:32:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T06:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/467741\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T06:32:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T06:32:15","slug":"returning-to-guatemala-in-a-cardboard-box-after-a-migrant-life-in-the-united-states-international","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/467741\/","title":{"rendered":"Returning to Guatemala in a cardboard box after a migrant life in the United States | International"},"content":{"rendered":"

At 11:10 p.m. on an unusually freezing night in late January, the last commercial flight from Houston, Texas, landed at La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City<\/a>. Passengers and their luggage were immediately unloaded. Just when it seemed everyone had left, the cargo hold door opened and airline staff pulled out two white cardboard boxes. Inside, two coffins.<\/p>\n

Julio Gonz\u00e1lez, 59, import supervisor at Combex-IM, the airport\u2019s customs warehouse, oversaw his team\u2019s respectful transfer of the remains in a small forklift to a chapel illuminated by a cross. Papers affixed to one of the two coffins revealed the name of its occupant: Miguel Raymundo Raymundo, 36, who died on January 14, 2026, in the United States.<\/p>\n

Miguel is one of the hundreds of Guatemalan migrants<\/a> who die each year in the U.S. due to accidents, illnesses or homicides, and who are repatriated thanks to the perseverance of their families as the final act of a migratory journey that ends where it began.<\/p>\n

\"\"A Combex-IM worker records the arrival of two coffins on the 11:10 p.m. Avianca flight from Houston, Texas. Image taken in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on January 31, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"Detail of one of the coffins that arrived in Guatemala City from the U.S. Simona Carnino\"\"A Combex-IM worker carries the box containing Miguel Raymundo Raymundo’s coffin to the chapel that Combex-IM has set up at its facilities to receive migrants who have died in the United States with dignity. Image taken in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on January 31, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"The chapel that Combex-IM has set up at its facilities to receive migrants who have died in the U.S. Photo taken in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on January 31, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"Julio Gonz\u00e1lez, supervisor of the imports department at Combex-IM, and a colleague place the box containing Miguel Raymundo Raymundo’s coffin in the chapel that Combex-IM has set up at its facilities. Guatemala City, Guatemala, January 31, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"The chapel that Combex-IM has set up at its facilities. Guatemala City, Guatemala, January 31, 2026.\"\"Luis Felipe \u00c1lvarez Oviedo, manager of the Land\u00edvar funeral home, and Roberto Herrero, driver for the funeral home, load the box containing Miguel Raymundo Raymundo’s coffin into the minibus that will transport it to his family’s home in Nebaj. Image taken in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on January 31, 2026.Simona Carnino<\/p>\n

In 2025, 2,443 people who had died overseas arrived by air at Combex-IM, almost all from the U.S., according to data from the customs warehouse. \u201cJust today, 10 coffins arrived,\u201d says Gonz\u00e1lez, who has worked there for 33 years. \u201cIn Guatemala, migration is constant. Just as many people leave, many return. Sometimes in a coffin,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

More than one million people born in Guatemala live in the United States, according to the most recent data from the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, this figure may be underreported because some Central American migration is irregular. Under the current deportation policy of the Trump administration<\/a>, 4,941 Guatemalans were deported in January alone, an average of 159 per day.<\/p>\n

At 2:30 a.m., after completing the administrative procedures, Luis Felipe \u00c1lvarez Oviedo and Roberto Herrera from the Land\u00edvar funeral home loaded Miguel\u2019s heavy coffin into a minibus. As they left the Combex-IM bus terminal, Herrera crossed himself before driving off, out of respect for the passenger and to ask God for a safe journey through the mountains of Quich\u00e9 until they arrived in Nebaj, the town where Miguel was born. Tenam, in his native language. Despite having lived in the U.S. for 18 years, Miguel remains a member of the Ixil Maya people.<\/p>\n

A dignified return<\/p>\n

At 8 a.m., the minibus arrives at the first gas station marking the entrance to the town. About 50 people are waiting there in the back of several pickup trucks, along with the municipal police and a vehicle blasting music. From there, the convoy begins its journey to the house.<\/p>\n

\"AltarFuneral altar made by the family of Miguel Raymundo during his wake in Nebaj, Guatemala, February 1.Simona Carnino<\/p>\n

Upon arrival, family, friends, and neighbors, cell phones in hand to record the moment, opened the back door of the minibus, took out the coffin, and carried it on their shoulders to Miguel\u2019s parents\u2019 house, which had been transformed into a makeshift chapel. Thus began a 24-hour wake, filled with nostalgia, three meals, prayers, mariachi music, and photos of his life in the U.S. projected on a loop. A stylish return for Miguel.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy uncle was the pillar of this family,\u201d says Willy Raymundo, his 24-year-old nephew. \u201cHe went to the U.S. when he was about 18, and from there he helped us all. This funeral will be unforgettable because we want to publicly celebrate his efforts.\u201d Willy cries as he says goodbye to the man who took him in when he was orphaned and allowed him to migrate at age 14 so they could live together for a while.<\/p>\n

Like thousands of Guatemalans, Miguel Raymundo Raymundo went north for economic reasons. He worked in the restaurant industry, started a family, and then illness struck. Lung cancer left him no way out. \u201cHe supported my grandparents,\u201d Willy continues. \u201cHe always said he didn\u2019t want us to spend money to repatriate him, but my grandparents couldn\u2019t survive without seeing him after almost 20 years. He had to return to his homeland. It\u2019s part of our culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ElA funeral procession accompanies Miguel Raymundo Raymundo’s body to the evangelical church in Nebaj, Guatemala, February 2.Simona Carnino<\/p>\n

Remittances are one of the most important sectors of Central American economies<\/a>. In Guatemala, they represent around 20% of GDP, and in Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, they approach 27%. The death of a breadwinner in the U.S. is an emotional loss, but also an economic one.<\/p>\n

Miguel understood his parents\u2019 wishes and paid for his repatriation while he was still alive. \u201cHe said, \u2018when I die, I\u2019ll leave all the expenses paid.\u2019 And so it was,\u201d Willy concludes, before joining the procession behind the hearse.<\/p>\n

Bureaucracy and costs<\/p>\n

On the other side of town, Juana Bernal also recently repatriated her niece, Mar\u00eda Elena Corio Bernal. She was 13 days old when she died on December 9, 2025. Her body arrived in Nebaj a month later, where she was received by her grandparents and aunts and uncles. Her parents, undocumented workers in the U.S.<\/a>, couldn\u2019t accompany her. Leaving meant they wouldn\u2019t be able to return. \u201cThey suffered terribly, but they know that one day they\u2019ll come back, so it\u2019s better that the little girl is here now,\u201d Bernal says. \u201cWe had to take up a collection with family and neighbors to cover the $6,000 for the repatriation from Florida,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

In her hands she holds the medical report with the cause of death: total necrotizing enterocolitis, a disease that primarily affects premature newborns like Mar\u00eda Elena. Everything is written in English. \u201cI didn\u2019t even understand what she died of,\u201d her aunt murmurs, looking at the floor.<\/p>\n

When a migrant family member dies, the human tragedy is compounded by an economic and bureaucratic puzzle involving autopsy, death certificate, embalming, transport permit, and the apostille that confirms the authenticity of the documents. All of this is handled first by a funeral home in the U.S. and then by another in Guatemala. \u201cPrivate repatriation can cost between $8,000 and $13,000, depending on the state where the death occurred, and takes a minimum of 15 days,\u201d explains \u00c1lvarez Oviedo. This expense can plunge entire families into debt, especially in Quich\u00e9, where 86.4% of the population lives in poverty.<\/p>\n

\"\"Maya Ixil women, relatives of Miguel Raymundo Raymundo, hold his photograph during his funeral at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo Raymundo’s coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"Relatives carry Miguel Raymundo Raymundo’s coffin during his burial at the cemetery in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"Miguel Raymundo Raymundo’s burial, laid to rest in his homeland after nearly 20 years in the U.S. Image taken in Nebaj, Guatemala, on February 2, 2026.Simona Carnino\"\"Francisco Marroqu\u00edn, director of Asaunixil, attends the wake for Miguel Raymundo Raymundo, who died in the U.S. and was repatriated by his family. Nebaj, Guatemala, February 1, 2026.Simona Carnino<\/p>\n

For years, the local organization Asaunixil has provided free support in the procedures and in the grieving process to those families in Quich\u00e9 who, due to not being familiar with the process, are exposed to scams.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere used to be funeral homes that inflated prices, thinking the family in the U.S. had money,\u201d says Francisco Marroqu\u00edn, director of Asaunixil. \u201cNow we have it more under control, but I always say that there are coyotes<\/a> [human traffickers] who will take you alive, and also coyotes who will take you dead.”<\/p>\n

Scams are lurking around every corner. \u201cI\u2019ve seen funeral homes send fake death certificates. It\u2019s a key document, and the family has to pay again to request a replacement,\u201d explains \u00c1lvarez Oviedo.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, especially during the holiday season, airlines prioritize commercial cargo and relegate bodies to a secondary role, sometimes leaving families in limbo. \u201cThey delayed the little girl\u2019s arrival twice. Everything was ready for the wake. It was very hard,\u201d recalls Juana Bernal.<\/p>\n

There used to be funeral homes that inflated prices, thinking the family in the U.S. had money<\/p>\n

Francisco Marroqu\u00edn, director of Asaunixil<\/p>\n

If families cannot afford the expenses, as of 2011 they have been able to turn to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs\u2019 Repatriation Fund, which, with an annual budget of five million quetzales (around $655,000), covers costs ranging from $1,000 to the full amount. \u201cWe provide support to help our citizens return home in a dignified and safe manner,\u201d explains Ricardo Girona, director of Consular Affairs. \u201cThe program applies only to fully identified individuals who died while undocumented, without support networks in the United States, and with low-income families,\u201d he continues. On average, the fund covers more than 300 repatriations per year, although in 2025 these numbers dropped to 201: 169 from the United States, 31 from Mexico, and one from Europe. \u201cTrump\u2019s fear-mongering rhetoric has led to a drastic decrease in migration, which is reflected in a reduction in deaths,\u201d Girona concludes.<\/p>\n

However, between November and January, the process often stalls due to the freezing of funds at the end of the year. The family of Julio Habram, 34, who died on November 16, 2025, and has yet to return, knows this all too well. \u201cThe family tried to apply for the fund, but, given the delay, the community is raising money to bring him back now,\u201d says Marroqu\u00edn.<\/p>\n

Dying without papers<\/p>\n

Julio was killed in a hit-and-run in the U.S. \u201cMost die in road accidents and often while in an irregular immigration situation,\u201d explains \u00c1lvarez Oviedo.<\/p>\n

However, in the morgue, the hospital, or the funeral home, the undocumented migrant becomes visible. The death certificate is often their first valid document in the U.S. \u201cSeeking justice for migrants who die in accidents is impossible,\u201d Marroqu\u00edn says with frustration. The complaint must be filed by a family member in the U.S., almost always also undocumented. \u201cIf they go to the police, they are deported. There is never a conviction or financial compensation,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Paradoxically, even a U.S. death certificate isn\u2019t enough. Until it\u2019s canceled in the civil registry, the person isn\u2019t considered legally dead in Guatemala. \u201cThis process can take months,\u201d Marroqu\u00edn concludes.<\/p>\n

The match<\/p>\n

As Miguel\u2019s hearse moves through the Nebaj cemetery, journalist Mario L\u00f3pez, from the Megavisi\u00f3n news outlet, broadcasts the burial live on Facebook. \u201cFamily members in the U.S. request this service so they can participate from afar,\u201d he explains, as he walks ahead among the burial mounds.<\/p>\n

Like the mother of Mar\u00eda Elena, the deceased baby, many relatives are also undocumented migrants and have to experience grief through a screen.<\/p>\n

\"MarioMario L\u00f3pez, a journalist from Megavisi\u00f3n, broadcasts live on Facebook for the family of Miguel Raymundo in Nebaj on February 2.Simona Carnino<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a person is far away, it seems as if they haven\u2019t died. If I hadn\u2019t seen him, in my mind he would have lived forever in the USA,\u201d Willy says with a tender smile as he remembers his deceased uncle.<\/p>\n

During the burial, people still inhabit the cemetery. Some eat bread to stave off hunger, others drink soda sitting on the mausoleums. \u201cYou know what? You can leave the town, but the town doesn\u2019t leave you,\u201d says a man before adjusting his hat and walking away under the midday sun. <\/p>\n

This report was produced with the support of the “Historias en Movimiento” grant from the Gabo Foundation and the Avina Foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At 11:10 p.m. on an unusually freezing night in late January, the last commercial flight from Houston, Texas,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467742,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,2481,35382,39716,3,39713,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":["post-467741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-el-salvador","tag-guatemala","tag-honduras","tag-news","tag-nicaragua","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=467741"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/467741\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/467742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=467741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=467741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=467741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}