PUÑO DE TIERRA
2019

In light of the El Paso Massacre of August 3, 2019, and the drowning of Oscar Alberto Martinez and his 2-year-old daughter Valeria at the Brownsville-Matamoros crossing, this public intervention performance conjures the rituals of mourning, burial, spiritual pilgrimage, and rebirth that traverse the landscapes of our Frontera. Performing to the tune of the popular corrido Un Puño de Tierra, with lyrics that celebrate living life knowing that Death is certain to come, this piece is an offering of respect to those who have perished at the US-Mexico border.

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Of all fatalities, only an estimated dozen cases have been officially reported of child deaths or disappearances along the border as of August 2019 - including that of 2-year-old Valeria Martinez and her father. The real numbers are far greater. It is estimated that over 10,000 people have died crossing the border and over 5,500 have gone missing since 1994. In addition, 35 fatal shootings by on-duty Customs and Border Patrol officers have been registered since 2010, of which only 8 cases have been filed for an internal investigation. Among the impune cases, includes the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzalez in Rio Bravo, TX on May 23, 2018. The Rio Grande Valley has since been reported as one of the deadliest places for migrant crossing.

 

Meanwhile, asylum hearings for refugees forced to remain in Mexico are held in "tent courts" along the river’s edge and at the Matamoros-Brownsville port of entry. Legal observers and attorneys are continuously denied their right to observe these court proceedings which are held virtually via webcam with judges across the country.

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A recognition of Memory Truth and Justice cannot begin until we seize the systems of Persecution, Detainment, Disappearance, and Impunity. We remain to dwell in our mourning.

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POR LXS QUE YA NO ESTÁN. POR LXS QUE SE LLEVARON. POR LXS QUE NO VOLVERÁN.