>> Sreenivasan: PRESIDENT TRUMP

HAS THREATENED TO CLOSE THE

U.S.-MEXICO BORDER NEXT WEEK IF

THE FLOW OF UNDOCUMENTED

IMMIGRANTS COMING INTO THE U.S.

CONTINUES.

IN EL PASO, TEXAS, THE GROWING

NUMBER OF MIGRANTS CROSSING THE

BORDER SEEKING ASYLUM HAS CAUSED

BORDER AUTHORITIES TO ERECT A

MAKESHIFT HOLDING PEN UNDER A

BRIDGE THERE, DUE TO A SHORTAGE

OF SPACE.

MOST OF THOSE MIGRANTS ARE FROM

CENTRAL AMERICAN COUNTRIES LIKE

HONDURAS, WHERE GANG VIOLENCE

AND CRIME HAVE CAUSED SOME TO

JOIN THE CARAVANS OF PEOPLE

LEAVING THERE AND TRYING TO MAKE

IT HERE.

IN THE SECOND PART OF HER

FOUR-PART SERIES, "FLEEING

HOME," NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL

CORRESPONDENT MARCIA BIGGS

REPORTS FROM A PART OF HONDURAS

THAT EMBODIES ALL THE ISSUES

CAUSING PEOPLE TO FLEE.

SHE ALSO FINDS THERE ARE MANY

LOOKING TO STAY AND MAKE THE

BEST OF THEIR LIVES IN THEIR

HOME NATION.

HER REPORTING WAS SUPPORTED BY A

GRANT FROM THE PULITZER CENTER.

>> Reporter: FROM HIGH ABOVE,

SAN PEDRO SULA LOOKS BEAUTIFUL,

CALM, AN IDYLLIC CITY NESTLED IN

THE HONDURAN HILLS.

BUT ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN, IN

THE DISTRICT OF RIVERA

HERNANDEZ, OVER 100,000 PEOPLE

LIVE IN ABJECT POVERTY UNDER THE

CONTROL OF GANGS.

WE GOT SPECIAL PERMISSION TO

ENTER THE AREA, BUT WE'RE TOLD

WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR WINDOWS DOWN

SO GANG LOOKOUTS CAN KEEP AN EYE

ON US.

TRASH PILES UP IN THE STREET.

EVEN THE ANIMALS ARE

MALNOURISHED.

DRINKING WATER IS CONTAMINATED,

AND WE'RE TOLD THAT HUNGRY

CHILDREN SOMETIMES EAT THE

SARDINES FOUND SWIMMING IN OPEN

SEWAGE LINES.

SO, WE'RE AT GROUND ZERO FOR ALL

THE PROBLEMS HERE IN HONDURAS,

WHETHER THEY BE POVERTY OR

VIOLENCE.

RIVERA HERNANDEZ IS ONE OF THE

MOST DANGEROUS DISTRICTS IN SAN

PEDRO SULA, AND IT'S CONTROLLED

BY GANGS.

IT REALLY FEELS LIKE A FORGOTTEN

WORLD HERE.

YOU'D NEVER KNOW THAT WE'RE TEN

MINUTES FROM THE CENTER OF TOWN.

THE MOST INFAMOUS GANGS IN THIS

DISTRICT: MS-13 AND THE 18th

STREET GANG.

BOTH WERE BORN IN THE STREETS OF

LOS ANGELES DURING THE 1970s AND

'80s BUT SPREAD TO EL SALVADOR

AND HONDURAS IN THE EARLY '’’90s

WHEN MEMBERS OF THEIR RANKS WERE

DEPORTED.

HERE, IN HONDURAS, THEY'VE

DIVIDED UP THE AREA, RUNNING

THEIR SECTORS LIKE ORGANIZED

CRIME SYNDICATES.

PLAY BY THEIR RULES AND STAY ON

YOUR OWN TURF, AND YOU WON'T GET

HURT.

PASTOR DANNY PACHECO HAS LIVED

HERE HIS WHOLE LIFE AND, LIKE

MOST PASTORS IN THE AREA, WORKS

AS AN INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN THE

COMMUNITY, THE GANGS, AND LOCAL

POLICE.

>> ( translated ): I'VE BEEN

DOING THIS FOR MANY YEARS, AND I

AM WHO I AM.

I STAY NEUTRAL.

ALL WE DO IS TRY TO HELP WHO WE

CAN, IN ANY COMMUNITY.

THE GANGS KNOW WHO YOU ARE, SO,

I THINK, WITH THE PASSING OF

YEARS, WE'VE EARNED A LEVEL OF

TRUST WITH THEM AND THEIR

RESPECT.

>> Reporter: DO YOU EVER FEAR

FOR YOUR LIFE?

>> ( translated ): ALWAYS.

>> Reporter: THE GOVERNMENT HAS

TOUTED A RECENT DECLINE IN

HOMICIDE RATES, BUT VIOLENCE IS

STILL RAMPANT.

FEAR OF RETRIBUTION KEEPS PEOPLE

FROM REPORTING CRIMES, AND, WHEN

THEY DO, FEWER THAN 5% ARE EVEN

INVESTIGATED, MUCH LESS TRIED.

ABANDONED HOMES DOT THE

LANDSCAPE, LEFT BY THOSE FLEEING

EXTORTION AND VIOLENCE.

THE GANGS OFTEN TURN THE HOUSES

INTO DENS FOR KIDNAPPING, RAPE

AND TORTURE.

THEY'RE DUBBED CASAS LOCAS,

WHICH IS SPANISH FOR "CRAZY

HOUSES."

HOPING TO BRING SOME LIFE BACK

INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, PACHECO

IS TURNING THIS FORMER CASA LOCA

INTO A CASA DE ESPERANZA, A

HOUSE OF HOPE, A KIND OF

COMMUNITY CENTER WHERE KIDS CAN

HAVE A PLACE TO GO.

WHAT'S THE FUTURE FOR A KID

GROWING UP IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD,

IN RIVERA HERNANDEZ?

>> ( translated ): IT'S VERY

UNCERTAIN BECAUSE, IN SOME WAYS,

WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS WHO ARE

GOOD STUDENTS; BUT IF SOMEONE

SAYS, "I'M GOING TO BURN MY EYES

STUDYING SO MANY HOURS AND

YEARS, AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO

GET A JOB," WHAT'S THE

MOTIVATION FOR OUR YOUTH TO

STUDY?

>> Reporter: BUT PACHECO SAYS

THE BIGGEST PROBLEM HERE ISN'T

VIOLENCE, IT'’’S POVERTY.

PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY

SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND UNIFORMS.

ONE IN FOUR CHILDREN IN HONDURAS

DOESN'’’T FINISH PRIMARY SCHOOL.

>> ( translated ): THEY HAVE

THESE THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT MIGHT

HAPPEN TO THEM IN THE FUTURE.

AND A GANG COMES ALONG AND

PRESENTS TO THEM HOW MUCH THEY

EARN, THE TYPE OF LIFE THEY

HAVE.

IT'S THE BEST OFFER THEY GET, SO

THEY JOIN THE GANG.

>> Reporter: PACHECO SAYS AROUND

THREE-QUARTERS OF THE KIDS IN

HIS COMMUNITY HAVE JOINED.

SOME OTHERS JOIN THE CARAVANS OF

MIGRANTS HEADING TO THE UNITED

STATES.

>> ( translated ): PEOPLE

CONTINUE TO LEAVE, ALL DESPITE

THREATS FROM PRESIDENT DONALD

TRUMP, WHO HAS MILITARY AT THE

BORDER AND COULD FIRE SHOTS AT

PEOPLE.

THE GOAL IS FOR PEOPLE TO GET

DESPERATE AND TURN BACK.

DESPITE ALL OF THAT, PEOPLE KEEP

LEAVING THE COUNTRY.

IF THE UNITED STATES INVESTS

LESS IN THE WALL AND MORE IN

REDUCING POVERTY IN THESE

COUNTRIES, I'M SURE IT WILL FIX

THE PROBLEM.

>> Reporter: THE UNITED STATES

IS SUPPLYING AID TO HONDURAS.

IN 2017, $181 MILLION WENT TO

PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MAKE

HONDURAS SAFER AND TO CURB DRUG

TRAFFICKING.

IN THE PROCESS, THE U.S. HOPES

TO MAKE IT LESS LIKELY THAT

HONDURANS WILL WANT TO EMIGRATE.

THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT AND

U.S.A.I.D. FUNNELED A MAJORITY

OF THAT CASH TOWARD THE

COUNTRY'S SECURITY INSTITUTIONS:

MILITARY AND POLICE.

THE GOVERNMENT BUILT NEW SO-

CALLED AMERICAN-STYLE PRISONS,

ROUNDING UP AND INCARCERATING

GANG MEMBERS.

BUT THIS ALSO BOLSTERED THE

AUTHORITY OF INSTITUTIONS THAT

ARE NOTORIOUSLY CORRUPT.

IN THE CASE OF THE MILITARY,

WHEN PROTESTS ERUPTED OVER THE

2017 ELECTION OF PRESIDENT

HERNANDEZ, SECURITY FORCES

ALLEGEDLY KILLED OVER TWO DOZEN

PEOPLE WITH IMPUNITY.

IN THE CASE OF POLICE, VICTIMS

OF CRIME ARE OFTEN AFRAID TO

MAKE REPORTS FOR FEAR THAT

POLICE WILL INFORM ON THEM TO

MEMBERS OF THE GANGS.

OLGA CASELE TOLD US THAT SHE WAS

IN THE CAR WITH HER FAMILY WHEN

THEY ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED A

POLICE CAR AND BULLETS STARTED

FLYING.

SHE SAYS POLICE SHOT THREE OF

HER CHILDREN.

HER SEVEN-YEAR-OLD SON, JOSE,

WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD.

>> ( translated ): MY DAD SAID,

"DON'T SHOOT, DON'T SHOOT, MY

KIDS ARE INSIDE!"

BUT THEY KEPT GOING.

>> Reporter: TIENES MIEDO DE IR

EN LA CALLE?

ARE YOU SCARED TO GO ON THE

STREET?

>> ( translated ): YES, I'M

SCARED BECAUSE WHEN I AM OUT

WITH HIM AND HE SEES POLICE, HE

GETS SCARED AND NERVOUS.

I DON'T WISH THIS GRIEF ON

ANYONE.

MY KIDS ARE HERE ONLY BECAUSE OF

GOD'’’S GRACE.

THE POLICE IN THIS COUNTRY ARE

WORTHLESS.

THEY SHOOT WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING

WHO THEY ARE SHOOTING AT.

>> Reporter: BECAUSE OF

INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ONE, POLICE

WHO ARE TRYING TO DO RIGHT BY

THE COMMUNITIES, ARE STRUGGLING

TO GAIN THEIR TRUST.

LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS RECEIVED

U.S. DOLLARS FOR NEW COMMUNITY

POLICING AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS,

SENDING NATIONAL POLICE OFFICERS

TO SCHOOLS TO SPEAK TO STUDENTS

AND FUNDING THIS DAY CAMP.

BUT OUT OF THE 8,000 CHILDREN IN

THIS SECTOR OF RIVERA HERNANDEZ,

ONLY 100 CAN ATTEND THIS CAMP.

BUT JUST DOWN THE ROAD, JEREMIAS

VOBADA IS GIVING THE CHILDREN IN

RIVERA HERNANDEZ, AND EVEN SOME

ADULTS, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR

FREE, TRAINING FUTURE

ELECTRICIANS FOR JOBS THAT CAN

PAY UP TO $20 PER DAY-- MORE

THAN TWICE WHAT THEY CAN MAKE

WORKING IN A SHOP OR SELLING

WATER ON THE STREET.

THEY WALK DOWN THE ROAD

TOGETHER, PAST A RIVER OF SEWAGE

TO THE ABANDONED BUILDING THAT

PASTOR DANNY PACHECO IS FIXING

UP.

IT WILL BE THEIR CLASSROOM FOR

THE DAY AS THEY BEGIN THE BASICS

OF ELECTRICITY INSTALLATION.

HIS STUDENTS RANGE IN AGE.

MARVIN MARCIER IS 52 YEARS OLD.

HE LOST HIS JOB AT A BREWING

COMPANY AND NEEDS WORK.

HE SHARES THE CLASS WITH NINE-

YEAR-OLD ISAAC, WHO IS ON A

WINTER BREAK FROM SCHOOL.

IN HONDURAS, EVEN A FOURTH

GRADER KNOWS HE HAS TO LEARN HOW

TO FEED HIS FAMILY.

>> ( translated ): WE HAVE SPENT

A LONG TIME WAITING FOR HELP TO

COME FROM ELSEWHERE.

THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR

THEM TO LEARN, SO THEY CAN TEACH

EACH OTHER, AND WE CAN GROW AND

GET AHEAD WITHIN OUR OWN

COMMUNITY.

OUR VISION IS TO GROW ACROSS ALL

OF HONDURAS BY EDUCATING

TECHNICIANS IN ORDER TO

EVENTUALLY BUILD A SOLAR PANEL

FACTORY, TO BE ABLE TO GROW IN

THE FIELD OF SOLAR ENERGY.

>> Reporter: 20 YEARS AGO,

VOBADA WAS A DRUG ADDICT

INVOLVED IN TRAFFICKING FOR A

SMALL LOCAL GANG.

HE UNDERSTANDS THE CHOICES THESE

KIDS ARE GOING TO FACE.

>> ( translated ): THIS WORK

KEEPS THEM OFF THE STREETS AND

KEEPS THEIR MINDS OCCUPIED, AND

THIS ALSO HELPS THEM FORGET

ABOUT THE AMERICAN DREAM.

IT TEACHES THEM THAT HERE IN

HONDURAS, IF THEY HAVE A TRADE,

THEY HAVE A TOOL TO HELP SUPPORT

THEIR FAMILIES.

>> Reporter: AFTER CLASS, ISAAC

TOOK US HOME TO MEET HIS MOTHER.

HOLA!

EVELINE NUNAS RUNS A SMALL

GROCERY STORE AND IS ONLY ABLE

TO STAY AFLOAT BECAUSE HER

BROTHER, WHO LIVES IN HOUSTON,

SENDS HER AROUND $80 A MONTH.

SHE HANDS ALMOST A QUARTER OF

THAT OVER TO THE GANG THAT

CONTROLS HER AREA.

EXTORTION IS SO COMMONPLACE

HERE, THEY CALL IT "WAR TAX."

SI NO PAGAS?

IF YOU DON'’’T PAY?

>>( translated ): WE ARE

OBLIGATED TO PAY OR THEY'LL TAKE

EVERYTHING, SHUT YOU DOWN.

WE ARE FORCED TO DO IT BECAUSE

IF WE DON'T, WE FACE DANGER.

IT'S VERY COMPLICATED HERE

BECAUSE OF THIS.

>> Reporter: SHE'S PROUD OF

ISAAC.

HE'’’S SMART AND METICULOUS.

SHE WANTS HIM TO STAY IN SCHOOL

AND SAYS THAT VOCATIONAL

TRAINING, EVEN AT NINE YEARS

OLD, IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT.

>> ( translated ): MANY TIMES HE

ASKED ME, "MOMMY, WHAT DO YOU

WANT ME TO DO IN THE FUTURE?"

I SAY, "HONEY, I WANT YOU TO

PREPARE YOURSELF IN STUDIES, GO

TO COLLEGE IF GOD ALLOWS YOU.

IT'S WHAT THE WHOLE WORLD WANTS,

WITH GOD'’’S HELP."

>> Reporter: WE ASKED JEREMIAS

VOBADA IF HE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT

JOINING A CARAVAN, LIKE THE

THOUSANDS OF OTHERS TRYING TO

EMIGRATE.

HE SAID HE WANTED TO LEAVE THE

NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT NOT FOR THE

U.S.

>> ( translated ): WITH A

VISION, I WANT TO GO WITH THE

SAME TECHNICAL EDUCATORS TRAINED

IN ELECTRICITY AND SOLAR ENERGY

TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS

COUNTRY, TEACHING OTHERS.

MEXICO, THE UNITED STATES, IT'S

NOT MY DREAM.

MY DREAM IS HERE IN HONDURAS,

AND HERE WE ARE GOING TO BE.