Las Patronas (English: The Bosses) are a group of volunteer women of La Patrona community, in the town of Guadalupe (La Patrona) in the municipality of Amatlán de los Reyes, Veracruz, which since 1995 have provided food and assistance to migrants on their way through Veracruz. Their work toward the defense of the rights of migrants has earned them several awards, such as the National Human Rights Award in 2013. In August 2015 the group was nominated Princess of Asturias Award for Concord, after the campaign Change.org who collected more than 50,000 signatures in support.

The group began in La Patrona, Veracruz, on February 14, 1995. On that day, group founders say they purchased food from a store, and saw a train known as "The Beast" which was carrying migrants, who asked for food. The women gave the migrants food, and returned home, where they spoke about the experience. They then decided to continue the work.^[1]

The group prepares between fifteen and twenty kilograms of beans and rice per day.^[2] They deliver about 300 lunches daily. When passing the Beast, they have approximately 15 minutes to throw the bags with food, as well as bottles of water, for migrants to catch them on the train.

Norma, Bernarda, Rosa, Nila, Tere, Leonila, Fabiola, Toña, Karla, Karina, Blanca, Doña Tere, Julia, Lupe, Lorena, Guillermo, Mariela, Sonia, Pepe, Erik, Julián, Juanito y Sofía Las Patronas.^[3]

On November 26, 2011 in Xalapa, Veracruz a day of artistic and cultural solidarity called Go by The Bosses was organized. During this action the population donated non-perishable food and clothing in good condition. The group that organized the event was supported by figures such as Elena Poniatowska, Damian Alcazar and Jesusa Rodriguez. During the day six tons of food were collected. On June 2, 2012 a second day also in Xalapa, Veracruz organized this year by the jazz community where he brought together a load of approximately half ton of food and clothing donations from organized.

In September 2012 a campaign of support in Puebla also began with a series of photographic exhibitions, roundtable discussions and screenings of documentaries where besides food, medicines and money were collected, in order to ensure the work of the patrons by at least one year.

On March 8, 2016 participated in Santiago de Compostela, Spain in the lecture series "No one is illegal" organized by the Party Sain.

In the beginning, they faced negative criticism in their own community, prompting the departure of some people who supported the group in their daily work: "We were 20 at first, but misinformation, fear that maybe we did something wrong, made some will leave" Bernarda.^[5]

Religious social activists linked to migrant advocacy movement have denounced hostilities against La Patrona by the local ecclesiastical institution:^[6]

"the have disowned, and that I heard it personally, because they did not have union with the hierarchy of Córdoba, do not work for the bishopric of Cordoba"

— Alejandro Solalinde

"I must say publicly: Mistresses our sisters are being harassed by our Church, the Church to which we belong"

— Fray Tomás González

According to ECLAC there are about 28.5 million Latin Americans and Caribbeans living outside their countries of origin^[7] In this same figure Mexicans and 11.8 are mostly located in the United States. In 1997 Norma Romero explains that opened the door of his home in Veracruz by a noise and found a girl from Honduras who had recently suffered an attempted rape in the Train of Death or "The Beast" during which her boyfriend was stabbed to defend her. Norma and her sisters cared for the young until healed and has since dedicated to caring for migrants, to be a little breath of hope for these people who risk their lives in search of a dream. Santiago Davila and Julian Alvarez, students from the Universidad Iberoamericana, wanted to know this history so they went to Veracruz to record the facts. There are too many stories to tell, one of the many who have traveled on the internet and it is worth noting is that of Elvin: "There (in the US) have a different life. Here we work in full sun. If you're born there your life will be different, you will work in an office, you will go to a good school, to college. I do not think you're stealing their money or their jobs. "On their journey, they raise the question What happens in" The Dining Room Hope Migrants? And even Why is discriminating against the "migrant" if the After all are people with dreams? it is a fact that Patronas lead life to the path of death but, How do they do it? and Why? the Bosses receive numerous donations, among them are large companies like MASECA® MEXICO and CHEDRAUI being big contributors in prepared foods for migrants.

The Bosses stop daily to cook and take off, literally in many cases, the bread from the mouth to give migrants who have a difficult journey ahead. Leonila Mexico Vazquez tells CNN that makes migrants because not only thank you, but you say "God bless Mother"^[8] Something she mentions with much emotion, the heart moves them to help these people. The good faith of these women feel not only migrants. It is to the world, they are a living example of selfless kindness. In the case of Julian and Santiago they came as volunteers to the dining room to record and Patronas received them with coffee and biscuits, gave them to eat and a bed. All at no price, it is with this that we understand the incredible kindness of these women, an example that every man and woman should follow. Whether launch the famous "lunch" migrants in the Beast or receiving roof giving walkers and food. We must learn from this incredible work and support migrants who simply follow a dream.

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