In a narrow alley tucked away near the heart of Guatemala City, the country’s most vulnerable women sell their bodies to survive. Known as La Línea, this stretch of pavement along a railroad track is a makeshift red-light district where violence is routine, childhood is often stolen, gang activity and extortion are widespread, and survival rests on acquiescing to the shadows. For many women here, sex work is not a choice—it’s the last stop after fleeing abuse, abandonment, poverty, and the depths of despair. Here, survival isn’t just counted in daily transactions—it’s measured in resilience. It’s the strength to endure.

But behind each transaction is a deeper story: of untreated trauma, rape, violence, death, fear, and perpetual anguish. Police look the other way. Society condemns them. The government has yet to show up. And yet, despite the oppressive neglect, these women persist. Some dream of escape. Others have no illusions left. But each and every one of them has a voice—and here, they share with us their unimaginable stories. These are the voices of La Línea.