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 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.

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 ...