Visting Mexico City on the Journey

December 5^th 2011   - A dose of Mexican History and Human Rights in Mexico

Our Journey in Solidarity took us to Mexico City D.F (Distrito Federal or Federal District is another name for Mexico City), firstly to the Fray Francisco de Vitoria Human Rights Centre and after lunch to the National Palace for a tour of the murals of famous Mexican artist, Diego Riviera.

After a quick breakfast we left Cuernavaca for D.F. at 7.30 a.m. in a rented bus - the group of 9 participants, DVI volunteer Renessa Tang Pack, Sr. Kathleen and Isabel of the CCIDD Program Staff and and were joined later by tour guide/ interpreter Charlie Goff (who also owns a language school in Cuernavaca), Sr. Aline and Sr. Brigitte of the Dominicans of the Incarnate Word at the Vitoria Centre.

The highlight of the visit to Vitoria Centre was being able to meet with one of the key players on the human rights scene in Mexico - Dr. Miguel Concha O.P., a Dominican Friar and Director of the Fray Francisco de Vitoria Human Rights Centre. He generously gave us two hours of his time to provide an overview of the political, social and economic realities that Mexico is currently experiencing and related this to our duty as Dominicans to speak out against injustices, to ask pardon for the time we have been apathetic in our duty in this regard, and to continue the legacy of Montesinos in promoting the dignity of the human person in a capitalist, neoliberal economic system and culture of violence.

Among the topics discussed were the negative aspects of politics in Mexico – which is pervaded by corruption and fraud and concentration of power, the monopoly on media by the two media giants in Mexico, the Movement for Peace and Justice with Dignity led by Javier Sicilia which Fr. Miguel himself has participated in since its inception in March of this year after the death of Javier Sicilia´s son,  the narco-trafficking war  and the government’s policies on  militarization which have contributed to a culture of violence. Fr. Miguel also provided us with interesting statistics on Mexico.  From the narco trafficking in these past five years there are 225,000 people displaced, 60,000 deaths and 2,500 children who are victims of this narco-trafficking. He stated that almost 60% of people in Mexico live in poverty with 25 per cent living in conditions of extreme poverty. Moreover according to the OECD, Mexico is in the second to last position of countries in terms of economic justice.

After Fr. Miguel´s talk we also were given an informative presentation by the General Coordinator of the Centre, Ana Luisa Monroy, on the death penalty and the many Mexicans who have been on death row in the U.S. and did not get due process from the law.

After a quick and hearty lunch at Sr. Aline´s apartment in D.F., we left for the National Palace at the Zócalo. Our very capable tour guide Charlie Goff, gave us a history of the development of Mexico City since the era of the Aztecs and most interestingly Mexico City in those times was comprised of several lakes whose beds were later filled in with earth to create our modern day Mexico City. No wonder that some buildings such as the Cathedral in Mexico City and the Old Basilica seem to be sinking. Moreover with the 1985 earthquake in Mexico the fact that the city was built over a lake bed was a principal reason why the shockwaves from the quake caused so much damage. He also told us about the education system in Mexico and that UNAM is one of the worlds leading universities where the students pay minimal tuition costs if they can afford it of 1200 pesos per year.

At the National Palace were amazed at the murals by Diego Riviera which were created between 1929 to 1935. They depicted the important aspects of Mexico’s history such as the conquest of Hernán Cortes, colonization, evangelization and exploitation of the Indians, the Mexican war of Independence led by Frs. Hidalgo and Morelos, the rise of socialist and Marxist ideologies/movements in Mexico, traditional indigenous life comprising growing corn and other fruits of the earth, market life, weaving, rubber collecting, trade in cocoa beans and human sacrifice.

Charlie was a great tour guide explaining the symbolism in Rivera’s art and he even later on showed us one of the rooms of the palace where Sor. Juana de la Cruz. a famous Mexican nun and writer, (she is featured on the 200 peso money bill) actually would have entered as a member of the Court before she entered the convent. He read us a moving excerpt from her writings. There also was a free Christmas concert that was going to be held later that night in the National Palace by the National Mining Orquestra that we were wishing we could attend, but alas it was getting late and the leg of our Journey of Solidarity in Mexico City was coming to an end since we had to head back to Cuernavaca in time for our scheduled Cena/ supper and get some much needed rest for the remainder of the Journey!

Renessa Tang Pack,

Dominican Volunteer International