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Caravan of Hope/Caravana a la Esperanza:
Migrants, their Families and Father Alejandro Solalinde Deliver a Message About the Root Causes of Migration to DC
 WHO: The Caravan of Hope, led by Central American migrants, their families, and Father Alejandro Solalinde, Mexico’s 2012 Human Rights Award winner
WHAT: Survivor testimonies and march to the White House drawing attention to the responsibility of the U.S. in creating the "immigration crisis" and therefore its obligation to implement a just and humane "Comprehensive Immigration Reform". (An ecumenical service in honor of those killed and disappeared will be held on Monday night).
WHEN and WHERE: Monday, May 20th
12:30-2:00 PM - Press conference and testimonies from affected migrants, their families, and Father Solalinde - Lamont Park, 3258 Mt. Pleasant St. NW, Washington, DC 20010
2:00-3:00 PM - March from Lamont Park (Mt. Pleasant) to the Mexican Consulate and then the White House
3:00-4:00 PM - Rally and Cultural Event in front of the White House
7:00-9:00 PM - Ecumenical Service in memory of migrants lost in the struggle for a better life - St. Matthew's Parish, 5901 36th Ave. (36th Ave. & Nicholson), Hyattsville, Maryland 20782
Yesterday, School of the Americas Watch delegates begin their one-week journey to the Mexico-U.S. borderlands to bear witness to the suffering wrought by failed U.S. military, economic, and immigration policies. Today, SOA Watch and other DC area organizations will welcome and stand in solidarity with the Caravan of Hope/Caravana a la Esperanza, whose members have taken a much longer and much more arduous journey. Migrants, their families, and their allies have traveled from Central America, Mexico, and now across the United States, in order to bring attention to the root causes of migration and the need for a truly just and humane Comprehensive Immigration Reform in the U.S.
Father Alejandro Solalinde never sought international recognition, but he has now won prestigious awards and traveled the world while defying death threats and exile due to his unwavering commitment to provide shelter, stand with, and speak out for Central American migrants traveling through Mexico on their way to the U.S. Like Javier Sicilia from last summer's Caravan for Peace, Father Solalinde has become the reluctant, yet dedicated public face of the Caravan of Hope.
The mainstream U.S. and Mexican press have characterized the Caravan of Hope as a mission in support of immigration reform in the U.S. But it is much more than that. The Caravan of Hope also seeks to highlight the human toll of US-backed economic and military policies that have been implemented throughout Central America and Mexico. Migrants suffer due to predatory capitalist economic policies (backed by military force) before making a life-risking trip to the U.S., where they are exploited as disposable labor and denied basic human and civil rights. Please come hear Father Solalinde and the indomitable migrants/survivors/families speak in their own words about the real costs of economic exploitation, free trade agreements, prison profiteering, border militarization, the so-called "War on Drugs" and other interrelated issues.
For more information, please contact Arturo J. Viscarra at arturo@soaw.org |
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