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An 18-year-old from El Guantillo hitches his first ride on the long journey to Vancouver, B.C., from his small village two hours from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. | |
Dodging police, robbers and the steel wheels of the trains they ride on, boys from a handful of Honduran mountain villages are sneaking across four international borders to Vancouver, B.C.
There, they sell crack cocaine, becoming soldiers in an international drug ring. The boys, as young as 10, take in more money in one night on Vancouver's infamous Hastings Street than the average Honduran will make in a year.
To get the story, Post-Intelligencer Foreign Desk Editor Larry Johnson went to Honduras, and P-I social issues reporter Ruth Teichroeb went to Vancouver. Photographer Paul Joseph Brown recorded their experiences.
In June 2001, this project won the prestigious Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence from the National Press Club.
Honduran children take a risky journey to escape poverty and deal cocaine
The promise of easy money draws them north. Canada's liberal refugee laws and generous welfare system allow them to stay. The result: A worsening crack problem.
>> Summary of key points
Honduras: A Thumbnail
300 internal rebellions, 60% poverty, 60% unemployment -- the numbers help explain why Honduran youths are tempted by drug money.
Comparing U.S. and Canadian refugee laws
Generous benefits, an overwhelmed immigration system and gentler treatment by police make the Great White North more appealing for drug dealers.
Photo gallery
See the story in pictures.
 Day in Pictures Arduous climbs and more |
 David Horsey Polar bears left in the cold... |
 Tourism Visiting Seattle? Our guide on sights to see |
| IN THIS SECTION | |
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· Introduction
· The Full Story
· Quick Summary
· Honduras in Brief
· Refugee Laws
· Immigration Statistics
· Trying to Help
· Photo Gallery
P-I reporter Ruth Teichroeb can be reached at 206-448-8175 or ruthteichroeb@ P-I Foreign Desk Editor Larry Johnson can be reached at 206-448-8035 or ljohns@seattle-pi.com. | |
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