The U.S flag is set up in the Suchiate River, which separates Mexico and Guatemala, during a 10-day-long religious festival on March 4, 2022. Some observers have called the nearby city of Tapachula, Mexico, the “new U.S. border,” and the flag served as a physical representation of that idea. (Photo by Drake Presto/Cronkite Borderlands Project)

TAPACHULA, Mexico – Every day, people on both sides of the Suchiate River, which separates Guatemala and Mexico, float across or wade through the water to eke out a living. They do a number of things, such as transporting goods, and rely on one another economically. The relationship between these towns is similar to that of “Ambos Nogales,” the cities in Arizona and Sonora along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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Geraldine Torrellas expects to graduate in December 2022 with a master's degree in mass communication. Torrellas has interned as a reporter at the Varsity Sports Show in Phoenix and KOLD-TV in Tucson.