Latin American Herald
Amnesty International and Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal collaborated on launching a film describing the harsh treatment and experiences of undocumented immigrants in Mexico.
“Los Invisibles” (The Invisibles) documents the journey of hundreds of emigrants from the time they cross the southern border into Mexico from Guatemala until they reach the United States, AI said in a communique.
The screening of “Los Invisibles” coincides with the start of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, being held in the Mexican resort town of Puerto Vallarta.
Each year, thousands of immigrants are kidnapped, raped and sometimes even murdered after crossing into Mexico dreaming of finding a better life in the United States.
The film, AI said, “exposes the truth behind one of the most dangerous journeys in the world and reveals the untold stories of the people who make the journey north through Mexico.”
“The Mexican authorities must protect migrants in our country. The law must protect us all, whether nationals or foreigners. It’s essential Mexico sets a good example in the way it treats migrants,” Garcia Bernal said.
In a number of interviews with immigrants, AI documented the abuses to which they are subjected by criminal bands and even public officials, abuses that do not dissuade them – however – in their determination to get to the United States.
“We made ‘The Invisibles’ to shine a light on the abuses migrants suffer in Mexico. As the world’s experts on migration gather in Puerto Vallarta for the Global Forum on Migration and Development this week, hundreds of miles away migrants in Mexico are facing terrible dangers,” AI Mexico campaigner and executive producer Sarah Shebbeare said.
“The Mexican government has promised to improve protection for migrants. It is time to turn that promise into action,” she said. “As a first step, we are calling on the government to establish a clear action plan and to collect and publish nationwide data on abuses against migrants and on the action taken to hold those responsible to account.”
Mexico is one of the few countries, AI says, that is both a destination and a transit route for immigrants.
After the massacre last August of more than 70 undocumented immigrants in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, little has changed for the people who cross the southern border from Guatemala, AI says. EFE