U.S. Ambassador Joins Media, NGO’s and Representatives of the Federal Government in Highlighting the Need to End Human Trafficking

Mexico City, August 1, 2012—Reiterating the U.S. government’s strong commitment to combating human trafficking, Ambassador Anthony Wayne on Tuesday night attended the premiere of Invisible Slaves, a film to be aired by MTV Latino America that tells the personal stories of four victims of the illegal trade.  The production was supported in part through financial assistance by the government of the United States.  It is part of a greater campaign called “Your Voice:  Alliance Against Human Trafficking in Mexico,” which is the product of a partnership between the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), the private sector, and Mexican government entities including the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) and National Commission on Human Rights (CNDH).

After having discussed the campaign with actress Kate del Castillo (an anti-human trafficking activist who was appointed an Ambassador for the CNDH in 2009) and CNDH official Fernando Batista at the event, which was attended by many prominent entertainers and communicators, Ambassador Wayne said, “The moving stories presented in this documentary remind us of the tragic toll that human trafficking exacts not only on the victims themselves, but also on their families and on society as a whole.  I commend members of the media who use the valuable resources at their disposal to inform members of society of the harm that trafficking in persons causes, and to convince citizens to do their part to reject and combat this illegal and immoral trade.”

In describing their campaign, PADF Senior Programs Director said, “In Mexico we are confronted not only with a human trafficking problem, but also with a growing epidemic that is destroying the lives of tens of thousands of youths. Through PADF’s partnership with MTV Latin America, this documentary provides a way to effectively communicate preventive messages that can reach vulnerable groups, especially children and youth, and alert them of the dangers. It also supports the efforts of Mexico’s national and local governments to partner more closely with civil society and the business community to reverse this modern form of slavery.”

The production of Invisible Slaves was supported in part by a grant of the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

For more information please visit:
www.mtvexit.org
www.tuvozcontralatrata.org
www.padf.org/tuvozcontralatrata