Chile is a pole of attraction for immigrant workers, coming mainly from Latin America and the Caribbean in a context of globalized crisis. Under this scenario, this article seeks to understand the meanings granted by Otavalenas women, indigenous Ecuadorians, to the migratory process and working life in Santiago de Chile. In order to do that, we accompanied, observed and did qualitative interviews of social trajectories related to their labor practice. The findings suggest that although mobility is motivated by improving their economic situation, the social paths that live in Chile confront them to a precarious and conflictive existence, which they approach through individual and social strategies. This is, from the incorporation of their culture and their valuable resources. Keyword: Otavalena; transnational migration; informal commerce; criminalization. Introduccion