Guatemala City (CNN) — In the bracing morning air, workers leave their homes in the outer suburbs and hurry toward the industrial buildings lining the Guatemalan capital’s highways. Some go by foot.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is part of ‘The Great Illusion,’ a series by CNN’s As Equals all about work: investigating which industries are most harmful for women workers, revealing the true cost of ...

Guatemala has long been a cheap supplier for US companies. But maquilas took on an increasingly central role during the Covid-19 pandemic, when lockdowns meant many containers sat idle in East Asian ...