(LAREDO, TEXAS) – At the same moment that dignitaries from both Laredo, TX and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico gathered for the annual Washington Birthday Celebration’s Abrazo Ceremony, dozens of community members from both cities gathered peacefully along both banks of the Río Grande to unveil large colorful parachutes with painted messages about the Border Wall.
On the Laredo side the message was “TWO CITIES. ONE RIVER. NO BORDER WALL” and on the Nuevo Laredo side, “EL RIO NOS UNE. NO BORDER WALL.” Kayakers simultaneously paddled to and underneath the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge with the message “NO BORDER WALL,” while others held a large banner that read: “KEEP OUR RIVER FREE: NO BUOYS. NO BORDER WALL.”
Included in the Abrazo Ceremony were members of the U.S. Congress and elected officials from both countries. Community members waited until after the national anthems of both countries to begin chanting “FOR OUR SONS. FOR OUR DAUGHTERS. PROTECT OUR LAND. PROTECT OUR WATER!” and “NO BORDER WALL!”
Daniel Nicholson, an Abrazo Child in 1992, held a banner during the peaceful riverfront demonstration. He explained the importance of taking meaningful action. “As a former Abrazo Child, I recall great memories of spending time with my grandfather who was often the master of ceremonies of this beautiful and historic annual symbolic ceremony in our community,” he said. Nicholson, a member of the growing No Border Wall Coalition movement, continued. “At this moment, we have to ask, ‘What good are symbolic events of friendship between America and Mexico down here on the border if the reality of our nation’s policies toward our brothers and sisters to the South are the opposite?’”
The U.S. government plans to seize hundreds of miles of riverfront land – including private homes, public parks, and city lands – to build a massive border wall and a militarized security enforcement zone, while installing a chain of large river buoys with razor wire edges in the middle of the river channel. Environmental studies show that this infrastructure would destabilize the river ecosystem, disrupt water flow, obstruct debris, and threaten human lives and communities.
“We want to build bridges, not walls,” said Abrazo Ceremony keynote speaker U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader, at a press conference immediately following the ceremony. His comments were part of a video uploaded by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo who joined him at the event.
A reporter from the Nuevo Laredo daily El Mañana who covered the Abrazo ceremony released a video in which he observed the peaceful bi-national protest against the Border Wall. “Esto nunca se habia visto, una manifestacion binacional en los dos lados del río,” he said.
Dating back to 1898, the Abrazo Ceremony has elected officials and children from both nations exchanging the symbolic affirmation of friendship and peace.
“If our federal government is allowed to move forward with the Border Wall project, we will inevitably flood and damage and destroy Nuevo Laredo. These are our neighbors, family and friends. We will not allow that,” Nicholson added. “In this moment, we must look beyond symbolism and stare the present reality straight in the face. The future of Webb and Zapata counties, and the future of Laredo are at a crossroads, and it’s imperative our community turns this potentially destructive situation into a moment of unprecedented action to protect our land, our river, and our people. Our grandchildren, our great grandchildren and beyond will remember what we did in this moment.”
“We love our river. The river is beautiful. These buoys and this wall will destroy all this natural beauty, and we want people to see the beauty of our river and how much we love it,” said Elsa Hull, one of the event’s kayakers whose riverfront land and home in San Ygnacio would be destroyed by the Border Wall.
Nuevo Laredo artist José Mata, who joined the Saturday action holding a parachute banner with dozens of other adults and children, said, “Para nosotros era importante ser solidarios con nuestros hermanos y hermanas del otro lado del río. Ellos están actuando en solidaridad con nosotros. Estamos aquí para respetarnos y protegernos unos a otros. Esta es la verdadera espíritu de la ceremonia del abrazo.”
Biologist Dr. Tom Vaughan, a founding member of the environmental nonprofit Rio Grande International Study Center, commented. “The proposed wall is dangerous and could threaten the life of people who live in our two cities. Both a wall and the buoys would alter the flow of water in our river, which during a flood could lead to catastrophe. In no way would these make our cities safer. In fact, they would make it more dangerous,” he said.
Stephany Valdez, a No Border Wall Coalition member, said that the federal government will have a fight on their hands in Laredo. “This is about land. The Border Wall is simply land theft in disguise. The feds want to take our private property and public lands away, then do whatever they want with them. But we will remind them that this is Texas. We are not just going to let them take it without a fight,” she said.
“Today was about our community sending a clear message that our land and river are not up for taking. As long as the people of Laredo have a say, we will say no to the Border Wall,” said No Border Wall Coalition member Tannya Benavides.
Edgar Villaseñor, also a No Border Wall Coalition member, pointed out the illogical political thinking behind the wall and buoys. “Laredo, Texas is actually one of the safest cities in the United States and has been for years, and we have never had a single foot of border wall,” he said, adding, “There is no reason for a border wall here. It would be a huge waste of taxpayer money, and so destructive to our ecology, parks, and neighborhoods. We are much safer without a wall.”
Statistic: Laredo one of the safest cities in the US Folder HERE with powerful photos and video
No Border Wall Coalition: facebook.com/NoBorderWallCoalition | Insta: @noborderwall_ltx
I am so proud and grateful to our community of activists who continue to advocate for Laredo’s integrity and future. So much of this work is simply being present, standing up and being counted, and being persistent. That is how a message is sent. We love Laredo. And our children have the right to enjoy a community without the degradation of a useless, senseless and destructive Border Wall.