This Wednesday, a new group of Salvadorans will travel to Canada as part of the country’s Labor Migration Program, according to Labor Minister Rolando Castro. The group is composed of workers from coastal regions who have spent decades laboring in mangrove areas under extreme poverty conditions.
Castro explained that these workers often earn as little as two dollars a day — and sometimes nothing at all — depending on the tides. “When the tide allows it, they earn two dollars a day — and sometimes nothing — and that’s how they survive along with their families,” he stated.
Because of the nature of their work and economic vulnerability, these individuals live hand to mouth. “They’ve never had even $200 in their pockets — never,” Castro emphasized.
He described the work in mangroves as grueling, involving long hours in harsh conditions with minimal compensation. “It is tireless work under extreme conditions with little reward — a reality that must not be ignored,” he said.
Those heading to Canada will now have access to full labor benefits under agreements secured by the Salvadoran government. The move is seen as a vital opportunity for many to break free from generational cycles of poverty.