Last week, LIRS staff attended a viewing hosted by the Washington Office on Latin America and Amnesty International USA of the recently released documentary The Invisibles: A Hidden Journey Across Mexico. The documentary, an effort by Mexican actor/director Gael García Bernal and director Marc Silver, illuminates the various human rights abuses suffered by Central and South American migrants passing through Mexico en route to the United States.
After screening the four part documentary, García Bernal was joined by Francisco Fonseca, executive director of the Education Corporation for Costa Rican Development and Sarnata Reynolds, policy director of Amnesty International USA’s Refugee and Migrant Rights program. The three hosted a discussion on the production of the film and the reality of abuse and violence suffered in Mexico.
Topics covered in both the film and the discussion afterwards included the epidemic of violence against women on the journey, the constant threat of kidnapping and the frequency of human rights abuses on the part of Mexican officials. The combination of these factors forces migrants to embark on a singularly dangerous journey without hope of protection or legal recourse from the Mexican government.
During the discussion, García Bernal was asked why he, as an actor, had chosen to become an advocate for this cause. He responded, “I care about this as a Mexican, not as an actor. I would be raising awareness about this no matter what kind of work I did”. Join the effort to raise awareness by visiting the LIRS Action Center and voice your support for compassionate immigration policies that will address the brokenness of our immigration system.