Press Conference in Mexico City

WOW.

About 80 members of the press corps packed the conference room at La Condesa DF Hotel this morning to hear Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna, WITNESS and our partner org in Mexico (La Comision) discuss the power of film and video to promote change, and to hear Paty Cervantes and Miguel David Meza speak first hand about the murders of young women occurring in Ciudad Juarez y Chihuahua, Mexico.

Along with that, We also screened a portion of the video Doble Injusticia.

Paty spoke about the disappearance and murder of her daughter Neyra and how she will continue to fight for justice, not only for her daughter but the hundreds of other victims. She mentioned that 2 women were found tortured, and mutilated on the side of the road in Chihuahua this past week ALONE! Next to her sat her nephew Miguel David, now free from prison. He said that even though he was wrongfully incarcerated, he has faith — faith that if we join together and tell the world about what is happening and pressure the government, that perhaps things will change. We all hope so, which is why we’re standing together with Diego y Gael and asking people to PAY ATTENTION.

From the press conference we ran to eat a late lunch and are now getting ready for the evening event!

We’re told that Mexico has not seen this type of fundraising event before and we are so lucky to have CANANA and Ambulante supporting us in this way.

A member of the press asked Gael and Diego this morning where their consciousness came from — how they got involved with WITNESS and what happened to sensitize them to social justice issues and human rights, etc. Diego was so eloquent when he said (and I am paraphrasing here) that he was born on this planet. That he lives in this city. That he reads the newspaper. That he watches the news. That he is a human being on this planet  and we as human beings need to care about each other. I couldn’t agree with him more.

Becky

PS – attached are some personal snapshots of the press conference.