Catarina Alonzo Perez, the mother of Felipe Gomez Alonzo, the second Guatemalan child this month to die while in U.S. custody near the Mexican border, pauses during an interview in her home in Yalambojoch, Guatemala, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Felipe was chosen to make the journey north with his father because he was the oldest son. It didnât occur to anyone that the road could be dangerous. âI didnât think of that, because several families had already left and they made it,â Alonzo said. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
The Associated Press
YALAMBOJOCH, Guatemala (AP) - White flowers and flickering candles sit atop a low table inside the simple wooden home in a remote Guatemala village. Nearby is a small pair of rubber boots, sized to fit an 8-year-old.
Taped to the wall are three photos, alternately smiling and serious, bearing a simple epitaph for the boy whose memory the makeshift altar honors: "Felipe Gomez Alonzo. Died Dec. 24 2018 in New Mexico, United States."
On Christmas Eve, Felipe became the second Guatemalan child this month to die while in U.S. custody near the Mexican border.
The deaths have prompted widespread criticism of President Donald Trump, who has foisted blame on Democrats even as his homeland security secretary vowed additional health screenings for detained migrant children.
FILE - This Dec, 12, 2018, photo provided by Catarina Gomez on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, shows her stepbrother Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, near her home in Yalambojoch, Guatemala. The 8-year-old boy died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering a cough, vomiting and fever, authorities said. The cause is under investigation. (Catarina Gomez via AP, File)
The Associated Press