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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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Good morning.
Please introduce yourself.
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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Homero Gómez González,
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president and commissioner of El Rosario,
where the biggest sanctuary is located.
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After a two-month journey,
we can see them flying.
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The brides of the sun.
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The travelers.
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A world heritage.
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Souls of the dead.
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Come visit! It's a wonderful world.
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Look at them!
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Beautiful.
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The Prosecutor's Office
has launched an investigation
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into the disappearance
of activist Homero Gómez González.
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He was last seen attending a meeting
in the village of El Soldado.
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Homero Gómez's case
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is one of 800 activists
who have received death threats.
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His family, his village,
and perhaps the butterflies,
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want to know
what happened to Homero Gómez.
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They take part in one of
the most breathtaking displays on Earth.
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{\an8}But their sanctuary
is on the verge of disappearing.
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{\an8}The monarch butterfly population
has decreased by 22%
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{\an8}compared to last year.
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The pine and oyamel trees
have been devastated
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by the cultivation of highly profitable
products, like avocados.
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Michoacán has increasingly
become the battleground
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of a collection of criminal groups.
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They branched out
from international drug trafficking
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to something far easier,
by preying on the local economy.
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1,733 environmental defenders
have been killed in the last ten years.
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68% of them in Latin America.
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{\an8}Mexico had the highest number
of environmental activist murders.
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THE GUARDIAN OF THE MONARCHS
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My brother was one of the first
professionals here in the community.
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He was a good student.
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Got good grades.
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And the locals believed in him.
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They had their hopes pinned on him.
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{\an8}So he started to get involved
in environmental issues
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{\an8}and the monarch butterfly.
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{\an8}HOMERO'S BROTHER
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EL ROSARIO CENTER
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I was contacted
because millions of butterflies are dying.
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{\an8}The male butterfly dies
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{\an8}when the female returns
to North America to lay eggs.
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{\an8}They are eaten by birds, rodents,
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{\an8}freeze to death,
or die due to physical exhaustion.
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That's why we call this place a sanctuary.
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He became a voice
in the community.
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This is where his story and career begins.
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We take care of our forest.
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We have more than a thousand
farming plots here.
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We plant trees now.
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We're making this place safe forever.
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But we must work
to preserve our monarch butterfly,
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one of Mexico's natural wonders.
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Homero was full of jokes.
But he was also very affectionate.
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He was always hugging his kids
and telling them that he loved them.
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He was so happy when Homerito was born.
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At the hospital, he said,
"Ask me for anything."
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{\an8}I asked why.
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{\an8}He said, "Because you gave me a son."
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{\an8}HOMERO'S WIFE
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This is how butterflies breathe.
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That's why there have to be trees
in order for them to live.
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So this is where butterflies come to rest.
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My dad was a happy man.
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My earliest memories with him
involve going for walks in the forest.
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{\an8}I played with butterflies.
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{\an8}HOMERO'S SON
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{\an8}They would fly so close to me that
I wanted to touch them, but I couldn't.
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He would take photos of the butterflies,
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even when they were inside the trees.
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There are hundreds of butterflies
flying right now,
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because they're forming several colonies,
which I came across this morning.
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Let's go see them.
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So he was a leader of his community,
which is an area of communally-owned land.
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It's an area that's very rich in forests.
There's a lot of water there.
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The trees grow really quickly.
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Uh, but it's also a very poor region.
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And Homero became responsible
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for promoting the protection
of the monarch butterfly sanctuary.
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A baby deer sleeping here
in the monarch butterfly reserve.
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It camouflages with the branch.
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He's sleeping.
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A baby deer.
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It's deer-birthing season.
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The monarch butterfly sanctuary
in Michoacán
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has opened their doors to the public
until March 31.
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The state tourism department informs
that 225,000 foreigners and locals
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are expected to visit the
Rosario Sanctuary and the Sierra Chincua.
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BUTTERFLIES 300 METERS AHEAD
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They're beautiful. They're beautiful.
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I'm about to cry. It's one of the most
beautiful things we've ever seen.
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Pictures will not do it justice.
We'll try the best that we can do.
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This is... This is incredibly beautiful.
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{\an8}Along with tourism, the butterflies
actually became an important resource,
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{\an8}um, to support the community.
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{\an8}And Homero became a big part of that.
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At first, he would post pictures
with the butterflies on Facebook.
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Eventually, he started
asking me to film him.
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Greetings from the...
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At the beginning,
he made many mistakes.
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He'd say, "Cut. Let's film again."
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We even created our own signs.
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He would make a sign,
and I'd start to film him.
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Today, I'm sharing this place
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with a natural wonder
called the monarch butterfly,
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known as the travelers,
or brides of the sun.
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Come visit.
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We're open every day from 8:00 to 5:00
until the end of March.
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He had a lot of books about them.
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About their life,
and journeys from Canada to Mexico.
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He traveled to Canada to see them.
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He learned all he could about them
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and gathered lots
of scientific information.
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{\an8}It's understandable
why people feel so much passion...
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{\an8}SOCIOCULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGIST
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...love and enthusiasm for this butterfly,
because it achieves the impossible.
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This insect manages to permeate
many societies and diverse groups.
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They are symbols of the impossible.
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Of hopes and dreams.
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There are many references
to ideas of transformation, resistance,
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possibility, and a brighter future.
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And the idea of having more than one home.
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That's what I hear from the migrant groups
I work with in the United States.
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Undocumented!
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Unafraid!
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- Undocumented!
- Unafraid!
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Undocumented!
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There's a parallel
between the experience and endurance
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of this moving butterfly
and humans on the move.
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This butterfly is seen
as a carrier of the souls of the ancestors
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in Central Mexican cultures.
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The butterfly brings its relatives
to these Mexican festivities,
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which combine ancestral
and modern traditions.
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The butterfly inspires us
to think about a world of possibilities.
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The monarch manages to achieve
what no other being can.
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Let's start with the egg.
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The monarch lays its egg
under the leaves of the milkweed plant.
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This plant also migrated thousands
of years ago from south to north.
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It's the only host plant
for this butterfly.
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The caterpillar forms a chrysalis.
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In this cocoon,
the caterpillar will begin to grow wings.
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Then, it emerges as an adult,
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fully transformed
into a monarch butterfly.
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If this butterfly is born in Canada,
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it will find a lake
to benefit from the wind currents
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that will help propel it
to make its flight easier.
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KILOMETERS
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{\an8}It's one of the most spectacular
migrations in the world.
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{\an8}Tens of millions of monarch butterflies
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{\an8}leave the United States
and southern Canada,
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and travel all the way
to the mountains of Michoacán.
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{\an8}LAKE ERIE
CANADA-US BORDER
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{\an8}Monarch butterflies
are now migrating south,
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{\an8}so you may be seeing more monarchs
than usual filling the skies.
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{\an8}WEST VIRGINIA, USA
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{\an8}The magical migration
of monarch butterflies
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{\an8}has taken flight on their way
to their winter homes in Mexico.
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{\an8}Lucky for us,
they're stopping here for a rest.
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It'll cross
what we know as the Midwest.
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{\an8}And you'll be seeing them
flying high over the Oklahoma sky,
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{\an8}considered the super-highway for monarchs.
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{\an8}OKLAHOMA, USA
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Butterflies have been spotted
across central Texas.
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And we're about to see
even more move through our area.
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{\an8}CHIHUAHUAN DESERT
MEXICO-USA BORDER
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{\an8}They may face difficulties
in the desert.
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{\an8}It's a tough time for the butterflies
because it's been a long flight.
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They'll come across infrastructure,
like bridges, which can be complicated.
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The journey through that last stretch
in Mexico is grueling,
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due to the lack of water,
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{\an8}less plants, like milkweed,
and less nectar to eat.
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Arriving just as expected,
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monarch butterflies fly over
the oyamel forests of Michoacán.
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The first swarms
have arrived from southern Canada,
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across the US, down to Mexico.
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The butterflies arrive
at the monarch butterfly reserve
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on their way to the oyamel forest
where their ancestors came from.
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There, they will take a break.
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I imagine they're tired.
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They've been traveling many miles
for months,
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possibly with no water or food.
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The butterfly will go into a dormant stage
and form colonies.
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They wouldn't survive alone, because
they would be too cold and fragile.
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{\an8}We've been open since 19 November.
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{\an8}It's been a very successful season.
We've had many visitors.
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{\an8}Yesterday, 1,300. The day before, 1,000.
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We expect 18,000 visitors this season.
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The community takes care
of their forest because it's their home,
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their life.
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They make use of their forest,
like other species do.
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When these dynamics change
due to external demands,
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it opens up the door to other presences
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that may be very harmful
to the local communities,
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to their forest,
and to the butterflies themselves.
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Michoacán has a lot of natural
resources. It has all four seasons.
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MICHOACÁN - EASTERN AREA
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But the eastern part
is rich in timber and mineral as well.
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Michoacán is one
of Mexico's most dangerous states,
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with constant clashes between drug cartels
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fueling a rising homicide rate.
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In Michoacán alone,
we have identified 14 criminal groups.
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Those are the ones on record.
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Mencho Special Forces!
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The Correas.
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The Pájaros de la Sierra.
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The New Michoacán Family.
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The Viagras.
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United Cartels.
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And two big macro criminality groups.
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The Jalisco New Generation
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and the Sinaloa Cartel,
who have local allies.
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We're talking about activities
like arms trafficking, narco traffic.
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A significant portion
of their income
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comes from manufacturing methamphetamines
and the operation of meth labs.
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{\an8}Michoacán is important to these cartels
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{\an8}because it's part of the drug-trafficking
routes to the north.
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{\an8}CISEN ADVISOR 2006-2012
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Different groups control these routes.
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It's the docking point of drug shipments
coming from South America.
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And these shipments
must travel by land to get to the border.
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Shut up!
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- These assholes are here.
- There they are. That's good.
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They're getting in that van.
Those motherfuckers.
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Michoacán has become
increasingly violent,
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There's been a 22% increase in homicides,
and it's far from ending.
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The cartels
who've relied on drug trafficking
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have splintered and evolved
into having a broader criminal portfolio,
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doing things such as extortion,
kidnapping, and illegal logging,
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mainly for export.
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The timber export industry
in Mexico is worth $3.2 billion.
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And it's estimated that up to 70%
of all the wood harvested in Mexico
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is harvested illegally.
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The majority of this timber
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is going to the United States.
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Organized crime groups
are trying to find a way
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to make the most of those profits
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00:15:54,411 --> 00:15:57,247
and ensure that at least some of that
ends up in their hands.
242
00:16:01,335 --> 00:16:03,879
That can come through extortion
243
00:16:03,879 --> 00:16:06,799
and offering protection
for lumber companies.
244
00:16:06,799 --> 00:16:09,635
But increasingly we see
that organized crime groups
245
00:16:09,635 --> 00:16:12,388
are actually participating
in the logging themselves.
246
00:16:13,806 --> 00:16:15,849
{\an8}Homero would say
that our forests were a goldmine.
247
00:16:15,849 --> 00:16:17,017
{\an8}LA VOZ DE MICHOACÁN REPORTER
248
00:16:17,017 --> 00:16:19,853
A 100 ft. pine tree could sell for $1,000.
249
00:16:56,181 --> 00:16:58,767
We've arrested people
in the act of cutting down the trees
250
00:16:58,767 --> 00:16:59,935
and stealing the timber.
251
00:17:00,436 --> 00:17:03,480
We closed the sanctuary
to demand help from the authorities.
252
00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,357
Instead, they ignore the situation.
253
00:17:13,824 --> 00:17:16,952
And we're proud to do this
because our forests are preserved.
254
00:17:16,952 --> 00:17:20,748
But this also forces us to speak up
and demand attention from the government.
255
00:17:54,698 --> 00:17:58,077
Since there's less noise
at night, it's easier to hear a chainsaw
256
00:17:58,077 --> 00:18:00,329
or someone chopping down a tree
with an axe.
257
00:18:08,462 --> 00:18:12,382
Rifles, machetes, these are
the weapons we use in the forest.
258
00:18:12,382 --> 00:18:14,093
Is that oyamel or what?
259
00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:16,845
We know we're at risk.
260
00:18:20,766 --> 00:18:23,936
Their advantage
is that they know the forest very well.
261
00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,033
Put him on the ground!
Let's tie him up.
262
00:18:38,951 --> 00:18:40,536
If they caught them in the act,
263
00:18:40,536 --> 00:18:42,371
they would hand them over
to the authorities.
264
00:18:43,747 --> 00:18:46,834
They're talking to you.
They're talking to you!
265
00:18:51,630 --> 00:18:54,550
Lift your face, motherfuckers.
Who's your boss?
266
00:18:57,177 --> 00:19:00,139
The locals, with their courage
and God knows what else,
267
00:19:00,139 --> 00:19:01,473
confiscated the timber.
268
00:19:01,473 --> 00:19:02,808
They're talking to you.
269
00:19:06,270 --> 00:19:09,815
When he found all the timber
on the ground, he filed a complaint.
270
00:19:12,609 --> 00:19:14,278
But those men told him,
271
00:19:14,945 --> 00:19:16,405
"We'll get to it when we can."
272
00:19:17,114 --> 00:19:19,491
They're scrubbers.
Look at the mess they left here.
273
00:19:20,993 --> 00:19:22,828
How much money
are we talking about?
274
00:19:24,079 --> 00:19:26,540
He said at our meetings,
multiple times,
275
00:19:27,082 --> 00:19:33,505
{\an8}"Brothers, let's keep defending our
interests in our forest, our sanctuary."
276
00:19:33,505 --> 00:19:35,215
{\an8}"They're not gonna kill us all."
277
00:19:35,215 --> 00:19:36,800
{\an8}HOMERO'S FRIEND
278
00:19:49,980 --> 00:19:53,483
I talked to him once
and I remember something he used to say.
279
00:19:54,735 --> 00:20:00,616
{\an8}Organized crime's next step
was to take over the natural resources.
280
00:20:00,616 --> 00:20:01,867
{\an8}EDITOR, EL SOL DE MORELIA
281
00:20:09,291 --> 00:20:12,920
He said that organized crime
will take over the water, the forest.
282
00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:14,338
And they absolutely did.
283
00:20:15,172 --> 00:20:16,924
I think we're experiencing it now.
284
00:20:20,761 --> 00:20:23,847
Organized crime operates similarly
almost everywhere.
285
00:20:28,310 --> 00:20:31,188
You see a convoy of trucks
with 20 or 30 armed men,
286
00:20:32,689 --> 00:20:35,442
passing through with chainsaws,
headed towards the forest.
287
00:20:45,035 --> 00:20:48,247
One truck after another
came down from the hills with the timber.
288
00:20:58,548 --> 00:21:00,133
They infiltrated the nucleus.
289
00:21:03,136 --> 00:21:05,514
The nucleus
is an untouchable zone.
290
00:21:05,514 --> 00:21:07,891
It's the home of the monarch butterfly.
291
00:21:14,731 --> 00:21:17,901
Once the forest is cleared,
they burn it.
292
00:21:20,487 --> 00:21:21,863
That soil then erodes,
293
00:21:21,863 --> 00:21:23,907
and they change its land use.
294
00:21:23,907 --> 00:21:26,910
It's no longer suitable
for planting pine trees.
295
00:21:26,910 --> 00:21:30,914
It can be used for growing whatever
you want, which is usually avocados.
296
00:21:38,171 --> 00:21:40,590
And this is how
organized crime groups
297
00:21:40,590 --> 00:21:42,426
earn additional income,
298
00:21:42,426 --> 00:21:44,386
by promoting avocado production
299
00:21:44,386 --> 00:21:47,431
in areas they stole
and exploited illegally.
300
00:21:49,725 --> 00:21:52,019
Nowadays, many organized crime groups
301
00:21:52,019 --> 00:21:54,730
own acres of avocado plantations.
302
00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:05,949
And, all of a sudden, you have
this multibillion-dollar marketplace
303
00:22:05,949 --> 00:22:08,952
willing to consume what Mexico produces
304
00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:13,123
and send back
billions of dollars in revenue.
305
00:22:13,874 --> 00:22:17,002
Organized crime groups
are increasingly finding their way
306
00:22:17,002 --> 00:22:19,838
of being a part
of this international trade
307
00:22:19,838 --> 00:22:23,633
between these two large economies
that are Mexico and the US.
308
00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:27,888
In the last decade,
the demand for avocados
309
00:22:27,888 --> 00:22:31,224
has led to an expansion
into the natural reserve.
310
00:22:31,224 --> 00:22:34,311
It's challenging to contain this shift
from protected forest
311
00:22:34,311 --> 00:22:36,688
to a monoculture of avocados.
312
00:22:40,233 --> 00:22:43,320
Among other issues,
the monoculture of avocados
313
00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:45,739
requires too much water.
314
00:22:49,576 --> 00:22:51,745
They begin to create
agricultural plots
315
00:22:51,745 --> 00:22:53,413
and steal the groundwater.
316
00:22:53,955 --> 00:22:56,375
This water comes
from the monarch butterfly forests
317
00:22:56,375 --> 00:23:01,046
and affects both human and non-human
communities, including the butterfly.
318
00:23:06,218 --> 00:23:07,886
Homero was worried
319
00:23:07,886 --> 00:23:11,098
because, every other day,
there was another forest fire.
320
00:23:16,645 --> 00:23:17,521
He said,
321
00:23:18,146 --> 00:23:19,731
"The drug traffickers hit us."
322
00:23:20,732 --> 00:23:23,235
They were gonna
start charging us for everything,
323
00:23:23,235 --> 00:23:24,611
even for our forests.
324
00:23:25,112 --> 00:23:27,072
He said that, as long as he was alive,
325
00:23:27,072 --> 00:23:29,616
organized crime
would not penetrate the community.
326
00:23:35,372 --> 00:23:36,873
Everyone knows each other.
327
00:23:37,582 --> 00:23:39,835
If you live there and file a complaint,
328
00:23:39,835 --> 00:23:42,712
they find out and come after you,
no matter what.
329
00:23:43,296 --> 00:23:45,090
They come after you or your family.
330
00:23:48,510 --> 00:23:51,972
"I have a serious problem
that I don't think I'll be able to solve."
331
00:23:54,057 --> 00:23:55,642
Those were his words.
332
00:23:57,644 --> 00:23:59,938
El Rosario
will not abandon its trees.
333
00:24:00,439 --> 00:24:02,607
Homero Gómez
pointed out that insecurity
334
00:24:02,607 --> 00:24:06,069
reduced the number of visitors
to the area by 70%.
335
00:24:07,737 --> 00:24:10,115
We don't allow logging.
We risk our lives.
336
00:24:10,115 --> 00:24:13,869
And instead of negotiating
or being assisted, we've been repressed.
337
00:24:15,495 --> 00:24:18,039
Homero became his own promotional agency.
338
00:24:19,332 --> 00:24:21,543
He talked to local or national media
339
00:24:21,543 --> 00:24:25,297
the same way he would talk
to an international organization.
340
00:24:27,716 --> 00:24:33,180
He knew that, through state,
national and international media,
341
00:24:33,180 --> 00:24:34,681
he could have a bigger impact.
342
00:24:34,681 --> 00:24:36,766
{\an8}MONARCH BUTTERFLY POPULATION DROPS 22%
343
00:24:36,766 --> 00:24:40,270
{\an8}The monarch butterfly sanctuary
is being painfully threatened
344
00:24:40,270 --> 00:24:43,273
{\an8}by the destruction
of up to 500 trees per day.
345
00:24:45,025 --> 00:24:47,152
Every year, high-ranking news programs
346
00:24:47,152 --> 00:24:49,571
report the arrival
of the monarch butterfly.
347
00:24:50,697 --> 00:24:51,573
But by doing so,
348
00:24:51,573 --> 00:24:56,745
they also shed light on the deforestation
happening in the reserve.
349
00:24:56,745 --> 00:24:59,247
And they started coming
to interview Homero.
350
00:25:01,082 --> 00:25:03,919
There were threats
that they were going to log illegally,
351
00:25:03,919 --> 00:25:05,629
but the people did not allow it,
352
00:25:05,629 --> 00:25:08,340
and subsequently, we have arrested people.
353
00:25:09,466 --> 00:25:11,218
He would inform us about things,
354
00:25:11,218 --> 00:25:13,887
like the increase in homicides
everywhere in the region.
355
00:25:13,887 --> 00:25:16,806
The kidnappings, abductions, and so on.
356
00:25:18,183 --> 00:25:21,311
He would say this off camera, though,
because he was careful.
357
00:25:23,897 --> 00:25:26,983
The media pressure
and Homero's social activism
358
00:25:26,983 --> 00:25:30,529
pushed the authorities to crack down
on organized crime members.
359
00:25:30,529 --> 00:25:34,533
It forced them to carry out operations,
conduct investigations,
360
00:25:34,533 --> 00:25:37,160
and seize shipments of illegal logging.
361
00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:38,245
FORESTRY OPERATION
362
00:25:38,870 --> 00:25:40,247
Turn this way.
363
00:25:44,668 --> 00:25:47,128
The drug cartels
in the region were uncomfortable
364
00:25:47,128 --> 00:25:50,006
because he was drawing attention
to the reserve.
365
00:25:50,006 --> 00:25:54,594
The reserve was a way to make a living
for his family and his community.
366
00:25:55,971 --> 00:25:59,558
But since he was the leader,
he collided with the criminal groups.
367
00:26:15,156 --> 00:26:19,286
In Michoacán, organized crime
groups seek political power.
368
00:26:21,037 --> 00:26:22,163
For some reason,
369
00:26:22,163 --> 00:26:24,958
they need and want to be
the political structure
370
00:26:24,958 --> 00:26:26,710
that controls everything.
371
00:26:29,963 --> 00:26:31,840
They want to be like Pablo Escobar.
372
00:26:35,927 --> 00:26:39,347
The last governors in this state,
specifically the last four,
373
00:26:40,140 --> 00:26:42,684
have had a direct connection
with organized crime.
374
00:26:46,938 --> 00:26:50,692
{\an8}We are going to address
the issue of insecurity!
375
00:26:50,692 --> 00:26:51,985
MICHOACÁN POLICE
376
00:26:53,778 --> 00:26:55,905
{\an8}We will govern Michoacán!
377
00:26:55,905 --> 00:27:00,827
{\an8}And we will make Michoacán
one of Mexico's safest states!
378
00:27:03,246 --> 00:27:05,373
Activists and politicians from Michoacán
379
00:27:05,373 --> 00:27:08,501
have been making accusations
against Silvano Aureoles
380
00:27:08,501 --> 00:27:10,503
in local media for years.
381
00:27:12,005 --> 00:27:14,132
Silvano Aureoles spent millions
382
00:27:14,132 --> 00:27:16,801
in building seven bunkers
during his administration.
383
00:27:23,266 --> 00:27:26,895
{\an8}Silvano was caught
supporting the Knights Templar Cartel.
384
00:27:28,229 --> 00:27:31,691
{\an8}Apparently, Dulce,
the boss of the Knights Templar,
385
00:27:31,691 --> 00:27:34,986
{\an8}gave him $2 million yesterday.
386
00:27:35,904 --> 00:27:38,406
{\an8}They're saying
that they gave you $2 million.
387
00:27:38,406 --> 00:27:41,368
{\an8}I'm asking the authorities
to investigate everything.
388
00:27:43,953 --> 00:27:46,956
{\an8}I was very determined
to put a stop to these things.
389
00:27:48,124 --> 00:27:50,085
{\an8}I strengthened
the state's judicial system.
390
00:27:50,085 --> 00:27:51,670
{\an8}GOVERNOR OF MICHOACÁN 2015-2021
391
00:27:51,670 --> 00:27:53,713
{\an8}However, at the local level,
392
00:27:54,339 --> 00:27:56,091
the towns are very vulnerable.
393
00:27:57,550 --> 00:28:02,222
These criminal organizations start to roam
and exert pressure on all of them.
394
00:28:04,349 --> 00:28:06,810
What is the business
of these criminal groups?
395
00:28:08,103 --> 00:28:09,020
Drug trafficking.
396
00:28:10,146 --> 00:28:11,731
And illegal logging.
397
00:28:17,237 --> 00:28:20,824
Illegal logging is a very big
and lucrative business.
398
00:28:22,701 --> 00:28:28,915
I would venture to say it's worse now
than it was when it was more profitable
399
00:28:29,499 --> 00:28:32,585
to exploit illegal logging
for cultivating marijuana.
400
00:28:38,258 --> 00:28:41,553
Homero and the people of El Rosario
confronted them
401
00:28:41,553 --> 00:28:43,847
in order to safeguard their community.
402
00:28:46,015 --> 00:28:50,729
You can see in neighboring communities
how their forests have been depleted.
403
00:28:50,729 --> 00:28:52,731
But El Rosario preserved theirs.
404
00:28:53,398 --> 00:28:54,482
Why?
405
00:28:54,482 --> 00:28:57,610
Thanks to Homero's tenacity and courage.
406
00:28:57,610 --> 00:29:00,572
They confronted each other with gunfire.
407
00:29:02,073 --> 00:29:03,158
They're everywhere.
408
00:29:03,158 --> 00:29:04,951
Over there is another plot. You see?
409
00:29:04,951 --> 00:29:06,244
- Also here.
- Can't believe it.
410
00:29:07,287 --> 00:29:10,248
On the other hand,
we had our disagreements.
411
00:29:10,248 --> 00:29:12,417
Although I agreed with his cause,
412
00:29:14,127 --> 00:29:15,128
there was resistance
413
00:29:15,128 --> 00:29:19,924
because he felt that we were encroaching
on his political territory.
414
00:29:23,511 --> 00:29:25,263
This is a great opportunity.
415
00:29:25,263 --> 00:29:28,516
We can tell our neighbor
that he can plant trees
416
00:29:28,516 --> 00:29:31,936
because he will receive a monthly income
to sustain himself.
417
00:29:33,897 --> 00:29:37,442
The governor could say whatever he liked
in his press conferences,
418
00:29:38,568 --> 00:29:41,863
but the truth is he didn't care
about the monarch butterflies
419
00:29:41,863 --> 00:29:43,114
and our forests.
420
00:29:43,615 --> 00:29:45,450
Homero confirmed this many times.
421
00:29:45,450 --> 00:29:48,745
{\an8}He said, "Although he's my friend,
he's ignoring me."
422
00:29:50,413 --> 00:29:53,583
Silvano, the governor, made a commitment,
but he failed.
423
00:29:53,583 --> 00:29:55,585
We've never seen any of them around here.
424
00:29:55,585 --> 00:30:00,089
We've risked it all. We take care
to ensure that no one cuts down the trees.
425
00:30:01,049 --> 00:30:05,261
It's not the same being the customer
as it is being the service provider.
426
00:30:05,261 --> 00:30:09,474
There's a difference in being on the side
of those who protest or demand,
427
00:30:09,474 --> 00:30:11,017
than being on the government's side,
428
00:30:11,017 --> 00:30:14,145
where you must make decisions
from an official standpoint.
429
00:30:21,694 --> 00:30:25,698
They were criticizing me for not doing
what was necessary to help them.
430
00:30:28,117 --> 00:30:30,161
There's no money to pay the people.
431
00:30:30,161 --> 00:30:33,039
The people are unable to work
because there are no materials.
432
00:30:33,039 --> 00:30:35,500
- They're helpless.
- Sorry, but it all takes time.
433
00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:38,002
{\an8}It's a thousand things.
There's a lot of requests.
434
00:30:38,002 --> 00:30:40,839
So we went to protest against Silvano.
435
00:30:40,839 --> 00:30:45,176
Don't say that. Let's look for solutions.
Let's forget the past. Look.
436
00:30:45,176 --> 00:30:47,095
We thought Silvano was his friend.
437
00:30:47,095 --> 00:30:49,639
In the end, we realized he wasn't.
438
00:30:50,306 --> 00:30:51,975
Record, record, so that...
439
00:30:53,476 --> 00:30:56,646
That's when they grabbed Homero
and took him to prison.
440
00:31:01,609 --> 00:31:05,238
"If they don't set him free,
we'll request the support of the people."
441
00:31:05,238 --> 00:31:08,825
"For 250 now, another thousand will come."
442
00:31:11,077 --> 00:31:13,162
Everybody over here! Over here!
443
00:31:14,622 --> 00:31:15,540
Come this way!
444
00:31:16,416 --> 00:31:17,625
He was released.
445
00:31:17,625 --> 00:31:19,002
We left the city,
446
00:31:19,002 --> 00:31:21,337
getting to El Rosario around 3:00 a.m.,
447
00:31:21,337 --> 00:31:23,214
but we made it back with Homero.
448
00:31:25,091 --> 00:31:29,345
In the monarch butterfly reserve,
we have a powder keg
449
00:31:29,345 --> 00:31:34,309
with political groups in conflict,
criminal organizations vying for control,
450
00:31:34,309 --> 00:31:37,812
and a rival who challenged them,
who cornered them,
451
00:31:37,812 --> 00:31:39,898
who made the problem visible,
452
00:31:39,898 --> 00:31:42,984
and who offered
an alternative political movement.
453
00:31:44,986 --> 00:31:46,863
The butterflies have
never arrived so late.
454
00:31:46,863 --> 00:31:48,823
This is the result of climate change.
455
00:31:49,991 --> 00:31:52,619
The monarch is in great danger
in the north.
456
00:31:52,619 --> 00:31:54,871
Careless application of pesticides
457
00:31:54,871 --> 00:31:58,499
and large belts of GMO corn
brings a ton of problems.
458
00:31:58,499 --> 00:32:00,460
And that is called Monsanto.
459
00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:01,377
{\an8}HOMERO'S BROTHER
460
00:32:01,377 --> 00:32:02,879
{\an8}He always fought for us.
461
00:32:02,879 --> 00:32:05,381
He wanted to run for office
and become mayor of our town.
462
00:32:06,883 --> 00:32:10,011
Fortunately, there have been changes
to the government cabinet.
463
00:32:10,011 --> 00:32:13,014
Although there are still people
who are only there for a photo
464
00:32:13,014 --> 00:32:15,350
and they will always
want to be close to the governor,
465
00:32:15,850 --> 00:32:18,102
and when we look for them
they are no longer around,
466
00:32:18,102 --> 00:32:20,939
it's good that this government
is promising changes.
467
00:32:23,566 --> 00:32:27,403
My brother got into politics
mostly because of his work,
468
00:32:27,403 --> 00:32:30,323
his love for nature
and the monarch butterfly.
469
00:32:30,323 --> 00:32:33,576
But the truth is
my brother wasn't interested in power.
470
00:32:33,576 --> 00:32:35,954
{\an8}For him, it was more a social endeavor.
471
00:32:35,954 --> 00:32:38,539
{\an8}For friendship,
and to benefit the community.
472
00:32:39,123 --> 00:32:40,291
He did many things.
473
00:32:46,339 --> 00:32:49,759
And the people of El Rosario knew this.
That's why they loved him.
474
00:32:49,759 --> 00:32:52,595
Because during his time here,
great things were accomplished
475
00:32:52,595 --> 00:32:54,514
that I believe will not be repeated.
476
00:33:04,774 --> 00:33:07,777
When my father
ran for office, he was kidnapped.
477
00:33:07,777 --> 00:33:11,114
They wanted to pressure him
to make it clear that he couldn't win.
478
00:33:14,033 --> 00:33:16,786
They forced him
to make his people vote for someone else
479
00:33:16,786 --> 00:33:18,371
or they wouldn't let them vote.
480
00:33:23,209 --> 00:33:26,504
They threatened him by saying
that if he won the mayoral election,
481
00:33:26,504 --> 00:33:28,798
they'd go after him and his entire family.
482
00:33:35,221 --> 00:33:36,973
They wanted to negotiate.
483
00:33:40,226 --> 00:33:44,480
They demanded him to stop the protests
and to let them do their illegal logging.
484
00:33:50,820 --> 00:33:54,782
They released my father at dawn.
The following day was election day.
485
00:33:55,992 --> 00:33:58,870
They spent all Saturday
convincing people not to vote.
486
00:34:06,919 --> 00:34:09,839
At that time,
you would hear, "Two missing people."
487
00:34:10,965 --> 00:34:13,760
Everything was closed
because a murdered man was found.
488
00:34:17,472 --> 00:34:20,475
This area had the highest rate
of kidnappings at the time.
489
00:34:23,311 --> 00:34:26,564
Local people who were abducted
were found dead the next day.
490
00:34:26,564 --> 00:34:29,358
In an election season,
candidates would be killed.
491
00:34:33,071 --> 00:34:35,615
He would spend
a lot of time next to the windows.
492
00:34:36,115 --> 00:34:39,243
If a car drove by, he would look out
to see if they came for him.
493
00:34:39,744 --> 00:34:41,037
He was very concerned.
494
00:34:43,664 --> 00:34:47,043
I was kidnapped by the groups
that were operating here in Michoacán.
495
00:34:47,877 --> 00:34:49,670
But that didn't keep us from fighting.
496
00:34:55,426 --> 00:35:01,349
JANUARY 13, 2020
497
00:35:03,935 --> 00:35:07,063
{\an8}He asked me to wait for him.
He said he wouldn't take long.
498
00:35:08,189 --> 00:35:12,026
{\an8}He was going to a meeting, and after the
meeting, he would drop me off at school.
499
00:35:22,870 --> 00:35:25,164
He received
one call after another.
500
00:35:25,164 --> 00:35:27,500
I guess they were asking him
if he would come.
501
00:35:31,838 --> 00:35:33,881
The person calling on the phone
was Elizabeth,
502
00:35:33,881 --> 00:35:35,508
the municipal union leader.
503
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,221
He left the meeting
to take his son to school.
504
00:35:42,181 --> 00:35:45,893
He called me on the phone and said,
"Tell Homerito I'm coming for him,
505
00:35:45,893 --> 00:35:48,521
but get me a shirt
because I don't have time to change."
506
00:35:51,274 --> 00:35:53,776
That day was
the closing ceremony of the event.
507
00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:55,903
He said he was going to the races.
508
00:35:55,903 --> 00:35:59,407
That there were important people there,
that they were all waiting for him.
509
00:36:00,992 --> 00:36:03,077
So I sent Homerito with a shirt.
510
00:36:06,706 --> 00:36:10,710
We were talking about
what subjects I would study next semester.
511
00:36:12,336 --> 00:36:16,257
I talked about my classes.
And suddenly, we stopped talking.
512
00:36:26,309 --> 00:36:28,477
Then, he dropped me off for the bus.
513
00:36:31,772 --> 00:36:33,566
That was the last time I saw him.
514
00:36:38,571 --> 00:36:40,907
Homero went
to the racetrack that day.
515
00:36:45,786 --> 00:36:47,788
Community leaders invited him.
516
00:36:51,667 --> 00:36:54,253
It was a social and a business gathering.
517
00:37:00,551 --> 00:37:02,386
The horses are already out!
518
00:37:16,984 --> 00:37:20,154
He appeared in a picture
on Facebook with other people,
519
00:37:20,821 --> 00:37:22,740
so I thought, "He's having a good time."
520
00:37:53,604 --> 00:37:56,732
It was around 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.
and I couldn't sleep.
521
00:37:59,777 --> 00:38:03,322
He still wasn't home at 4:00
in the morning. I wondered, "Where is he?"
522
00:38:04,740 --> 00:38:07,702
My mom called me
and asked if I had heard from him
523
00:38:07,702 --> 00:38:08,744
because she hadn't.
524
00:38:17,670 --> 00:38:21,799
I talked to the police.
There was no trace of my dad.
525
00:38:26,595 --> 00:38:29,223
I was the first one
to go out looking for him.
526
00:38:29,223 --> 00:38:30,725
I had a bad feeling.
527
00:38:30,725 --> 00:38:33,311
Um, when I arrived at the place
where the event was,
528
00:38:33,311 --> 00:38:35,271
the first thing I saw was his car.
529
00:38:39,525 --> 00:38:40,651
{\an8}But he wasn't there.
530
00:38:40,651 --> 00:38:41,569
{\an8}HOMERO'S SISTER
531
00:38:41,569 --> 00:38:44,572
{\an8}So I immediately thought
that something was wrong.
532
00:38:46,991 --> 00:38:50,828
I called Elizabeth,
who, back then, was a trustee of Ocampo,
533
00:38:51,329 --> 00:38:54,373
and she told me
that my dad was with government officers.
534
00:38:57,418 --> 00:39:01,005
He was with Octavio Ocampo,
who was a deputy at that time,
535
00:39:01,756 --> 00:39:04,008
and with Councilwoman Karina Alvarado.
536
00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:06,177
She told me to talk to her.
537
00:39:07,219 --> 00:39:08,179
I called her,
538
00:39:08,179 --> 00:39:11,390
and she told me that when they left
the fair, my dad was still there.
539
00:39:11,390 --> 00:39:13,851
SNACK BAR
540
00:39:13,851 --> 00:39:17,021
I was worried.
I kept calling my dad's phone.
541
00:39:18,272 --> 00:39:20,483
The phone kept ringing,
but there was no answer.
542
00:39:23,027 --> 00:39:26,280
It was January 14,
around 4:00 p.m.,
543
00:39:27,198 --> 00:39:29,700
when someone answered my dad's phone.
544
00:39:32,620 --> 00:39:33,788
It was a man.
545
00:39:34,372 --> 00:39:38,250
He said that my father had left his phone
and his tablet in a taco place.
546
00:39:41,921 --> 00:39:43,839
He said that he took the phone home.
547
00:39:45,091 --> 00:39:48,886
My dad never forgot his phone,
because it was tourist season.
548
00:39:49,637 --> 00:39:51,722
I asked the man if he knew what happened.
549
00:39:52,223 --> 00:39:53,849
And he said that he disappeared.
550
00:40:08,114 --> 00:40:10,658
I went back home
and my entire family was there.
551
00:40:10,658 --> 00:40:13,577
They said no one knew
anything about my father.
552
00:40:18,332 --> 00:40:20,584
I said,
"I'll go look for him."
553
00:40:28,175 --> 00:40:29,969
We went
to the Prosecutor's Office.
554
00:40:29,969 --> 00:40:32,638
They suggested we wait
before filing a report.
555
00:40:32,638 --> 00:40:34,974
We filed the formal complaint
the next day.
556
00:40:34,974 --> 00:40:36,851
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE
557
00:40:41,939 --> 00:40:44,275
They called it
a virtual kidnapping.
558
00:40:44,900 --> 00:40:48,404
They explained that this happens
when you're threatened over the phone.
559
00:40:49,572 --> 00:40:52,825
They take the victim to a place
like a hotel or a church,
560
00:40:53,325 --> 00:40:55,327
and then coerce the victim's relatives.
561
00:40:56,704 --> 00:40:58,456
They said that he could be anywhere.
562
00:41:01,500 --> 00:41:03,127
{\an8}When they filed the report,
563
00:41:03,127 --> 00:41:06,297
{\an8}the authorities reacted
with complete indifference,
564
00:41:06,297 --> 00:41:08,048
{\an8}underestimating the case.
565
00:41:08,048 --> 00:41:12,178
{\an8}They said, "We're looking for him.
He might be around somewhere."
566
00:41:12,928 --> 00:41:16,307
What we see is a lack of motivation
from the authorities
567
00:41:16,307 --> 00:41:19,894
because they have to coexist
with criminal groups.
568
00:41:27,109 --> 00:41:29,778
I gave an interview
where I said harsh things.
569
00:41:29,778 --> 00:41:31,489
I announced my brother's disappearance
570
00:41:31,489 --> 00:41:35,367
and talked about the negligence
of the Prosecutor's Office for not acting.
571
00:41:37,912 --> 00:41:39,914
JANUARY 14, 2020
1 DAY AFTER HOMERO'S DISSAPPEARANCE
572
00:41:39,914 --> 00:41:42,791
The article was on the front page.
It was an editorial decision.
573
00:41:42,791 --> 00:41:44,001
It was important.
574
00:41:46,378 --> 00:41:48,964
International organizations
were joining the search.
575
00:41:50,174 --> 00:41:53,135
This pressured the government
to start looking for Homero.
576
00:41:53,135 --> 00:41:56,680
PROTECTION FOR ACTIVISTS
577
00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:58,265
It was an important article.
578
00:41:58,265 --> 00:42:01,894
Besides, it was January,
and the butterflies were still here.
579
00:42:08,067 --> 00:42:10,945
The Michoacán Prosecutor's Office
issued a bulletin
580
00:42:10,945 --> 00:42:14,532
for the disappearance
of the activist Homero Gómez González.
581
00:42:14,532 --> 00:42:17,159
The State Commission for Human Rights
urged all authorities
582
00:42:17,159 --> 00:42:18,869
to intensify the search for him.
583
00:42:20,621 --> 00:42:24,875
After that, everything was set in motion.
State officials got in touch with us.
584
00:42:24,875 --> 00:42:26,710
People from NGOs, the media.
585
00:42:30,422 --> 00:42:32,633
Locals and friends started to talk.
586
00:42:32,633 --> 00:42:37,388
The next day at 8:00 in the morning,
300 people were gathered to look for him.
587
00:42:40,182 --> 00:42:43,310
One team on that side
and the other team on this side.
588
00:42:43,894 --> 00:42:45,521
And we'll all gather there.
589
00:42:46,063 --> 00:42:47,898
Let's hope we can achieve something.
590
00:42:55,155 --> 00:42:57,491
- Have you looked here?
- No.
591
00:42:58,993 --> 00:43:01,620
That's the hole where we found
the man that was kidnapped.
592
00:43:02,288 --> 00:43:04,206
But maybe he's not here. Right?
593
00:43:04,206 --> 00:43:05,791
- Perhaps.
- There.
594
00:43:09,420 --> 00:43:11,714
All the landowners
and people from the town
595
00:43:11,714 --> 00:43:13,632
volunteered to join the search.
596
00:43:14,675 --> 00:43:17,011
- There's a road on that side.
- Okay.
597
00:43:17,886 --> 00:43:21,390
It took your breath away,
just how many people were helping.
598
00:43:22,016 --> 00:43:23,976
We were divided into groups.
599
00:43:27,062 --> 00:43:31,191
Gómez González, the president
of the board of directors of El Rosario,
600
00:43:31,191 --> 00:43:34,069
where the largest
monarch butterfly sanctuary is located,
601
00:43:34,069 --> 00:43:36,947
was last seen on Monday evening
after leaving a meeting.
602
00:43:38,449 --> 00:43:41,160
He disappeared from Ocampo
on January 13.
603
00:43:43,829 --> 00:43:46,332
There is still no indication
of his whereabouts.
604
00:43:56,050 --> 00:43:58,886
We began the search
from the point where he was last seen.
605
00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:07,895
And we strategically expanded our search
to explore other areas as well.
606
00:44:28,749 --> 00:44:30,125
I received a call.
607
00:44:32,169 --> 00:44:34,171
They said, "We have your husband."
608
00:44:36,882 --> 00:44:40,344
Rebeca called to tell me
she received a call asking for ransom.
609
00:44:40,344 --> 00:44:42,763
I said, "I want to see him."
610
00:44:44,515 --> 00:44:46,016
And they sent me a picture.
611
00:44:47,434 --> 00:44:50,813
Homero was kneeling
with men behind him dressed as soldiers
612
00:44:50,813 --> 00:44:53,357
aiming weapons at his head.
613
00:44:56,151 --> 00:44:58,195
They told her that Homero was fine.
614
00:44:58,195 --> 00:44:59,947
That they would return him soon.
615
00:45:00,864 --> 00:45:03,534
They said they took him
to teach him a lesson.
616
00:45:04,410 --> 00:45:07,579
They demanded a ransom
and Homero would be back by noon.
617
00:45:08,664 --> 00:45:12,167
Out of desperation,
we felt it was a good idea to pay.
618
00:45:20,300 --> 00:45:22,302
My mother
went to make the deposit.
619
00:45:22,803 --> 00:45:26,807
That whole time, they kept calling her,
saying that they were following her,
620
00:45:27,474 --> 00:45:31,270
urging her to deposit the money
because they were closely watching us.
621
00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:38,193
They asked her for $6,000,
but she ended up paying 3,000.
622
00:45:55,419 --> 00:45:57,546
The next day,
they called her back.
623
00:46:00,299 --> 00:46:03,677
My Uncle Amado told us
to go to the district attorney's office
624
00:46:03,677 --> 00:46:05,429
because they were waiting for us.
625
00:46:06,138 --> 00:46:09,099
We were terrified,
because they said they were following us.
626
00:46:11,310 --> 00:46:14,021
The prosecutor told me,
"Don't give them money."
627
00:46:14,772 --> 00:46:16,106
I told him, crying,
628
00:46:17,274 --> 00:46:18,525
"They're gonna kill him."
629
00:46:19,985 --> 00:46:23,030
The case was moved
to the specialized kidnapping unit.
630
00:46:23,697 --> 00:46:24,990
{\an8}HOMICIDE PROSECUTOR
631
00:46:24,990 --> 00:46:27,951
{\an8}We began using phone tracking techniques.
632
00:46:30,162 --> 00:46:36,460
The calls Homero's wife was receiving
were traced to a prison in Tamaulipas.
633
00:46:40,506 --> 00:46:41,757
Two weeks have passed
634
00:46:41,757 --> 00:46:44,676
since environmental activist
Homero Gómez disappeared.
635
00:46:44,676 --> 00:46:49,723
Unfortunately, Homero's family has fallen
victim to extortion by false kidnappers.
636
00:46:50,390 --> 00:46:52,392
There are no clues of his whereabouts.
637
00:46:54,728 --> 00:46:56,897
That line of investigation
was closed,
638
00:46:56,897 --> 00:47:00,108
and it was handed over
to the homicide unit, which I represent,
639
00:47:00,234 --> 00:47:03,862
who continued the investigation.
However, kidnapping had been ruled out.
640
00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:10,160
{\an8}I have faith that we will find him,
but I hope we find him alive.
641
00:47:10,953 --> 00:47:14,373
It's a delicate matter.
Very unfortunate and painful.
642
00:47:17,751 --> 00:47:19,628
No matter
what the governor says,
643
00:47:19,628 --> 00:47:23,340
even when he claims he would give
his own life for this man to come back,
644
00:47:24,049 --> 00:47:28,804
the fact is he disappeared and illegal
sawmills are still operating in Michoacán.
645
00:47:40,274 --> 00:47:43,735
Some people said
that they knew where he was being held.
646
00:48:01,211 --> 00:48:03,547
We looked there
and we didn't find anything.
647
00:48:03,547 --> 00:48:06,216
The police questioned those people,
but they wouldn't talk.
648
00:48:06,884 --> 00:48:07,843
They were afraid.
649
00:48:12,598 --> 00:48:16,768
{\an8}In Michoacán, state police took control
of security in Ocampo and Angangueo.
650
00:48:16,768 --> 00:48:19,062
{\an8}Fifty-three police officers
from those districts
651
00:48:19,062 --> 00:48:23,358
{\an8}are being investigated for the
disappearance of Homero Gómez González,
652
00:48:23,358 --> 00:48:25,402
{\an8}activist for the monarch butterfly.
653
00:48:28,113 --> 00:48:29,448
The local police
654
00:48:29,448 --> 00:48:33,243
were supposed to be in charge
of the event's security.
655
00:48:35,037 --> 00:48:39,374
So the first people interrogated
were the local policemen.
656
00:48:41,293 --> 00:48:44,421
The thing is we have a long history
here in Michoacán
657
00:48:44,421 --> 00:48:48,383
of cases of forced disappearances
committed by police units.
658
00:48:52,596 --> 00:48:55,307
{\an8}The Michoacán
Minister of Public Security
659
00:48:55,307 --> 00:48:59,353
{\an8}reported that all members
of the municipal police in Ocampo
660
00:48:59,353 --> 00:49:02,105
{\an8}have been detained for an investigation
661
00:49:02,105 --> 00:49:06,109
{\an8}due to their alleged ties
with criminal organizations.
662
00:49:16,078 --> 00:49:18,372
Most of them said
they didn't cover the event.
663
00:49:19,456 --> 00:49:23,126
Three or four that covered the event
declared that they left early.
664
00:49:24,211 --> 00:49:27,047
{\an8}POLICE ARE SUBPOENAED
665
00:49:27,047 --> 00:49:29,967
{\an8}STILL MISSING
666
00:49:30,926 --> 00:49:34,513
Usually, when criminal groups
execute an event of this scale,
667
00:49:34,513 --> 00:49:36,723
they do it with coordination.
668
00:49:36,723 --> 00:49:39,393
They coordinate with local authorities.
669
00:49:41,812 --> 00:49:44,064
Firstly, because the family will react.
670
00:49:44,064 --> 00:49:46,858
Secondly, when the kidnappers
take the victim,
671
00:49:46,858 --> 00:49:48,944
there will be no police checkpoints.
672
00:49:52,239 --> 00:49:57,035
That gives the kidnappers or murderers
30 to 45 minutes to escape
673
00:49:57,744 --> 00:50:00,372
and avoid triggering security alerts.
674
00:50:02,499 --> 00:50:05,919
JANUARY 29, 2020
16 DAYS SINCE HOMERO'S DISAPPEARANCE
675
00:50:05,919 --> 00:50:09,172
We were summoned
to the regional Prosecutor's Office.
676
00:50:09,756 --> 00:50:14,136
I was returning home, and suddenly
a patrol car passed by very fast.
677
00:50:17,180 --> 00:50:18,640
I turned my cell phone on
678
00:50:19,808 --> 00:50:23,562
and the first thing that I saw
was the news
679
00:50:24,980 --> 00:50:29,443
saying that a body was found close
to the place where my father disappeared.
680
00:50:32,904 --> 00:50:36,033
On January 29, 2020,
681
00:50:37,242 --> 00:50:38,243
I received a call.
682
00:50:39,870 --> 00:50:42,330
I was asked to come to El Soldado,
683
00:50:42,998 --> 00:50:45,042
close to where Homero was last seen.
684
00:50:48,336 --> 00:50:51,381
They said they found a body,
presumably Homero's.
685
00:50:52,049 --> 00:50:55,260
I went alone.
I didn't want to alarm my family.
686
00:51:01,892 --> 00:51:03,769
As it turned out, when I arrived,
687
00:51:03,769 --> 00:51:07,147
the police and the Prosecutor's Office
were already there.
688
00:51:14,362 --> 00:51:16,073
They let me get close to the well.
689
00:51:16,073 --> 00:51:19,326
They found a very deep hole,
around 20 feet or more.
690
00:51:21,036 --> 00:51:24,581
{\an8}SEMEFO
FORENSIC SERVICES
691
00:51:24,581 --> 00:51:25,749
He was face down.
692
00:51:28,585 --> 00:51:31,713
They said we had to wait
for the coroner to recover the body
693
00:51:31,713 --> 00:51:33,215
so I could identify it.
694
00:51:40,889 --> 00:51:43,600
I felt scared, anguished, sad, angry.
695
00:51:43,600 --> 00:51:45,727
So many conflicting emotions.
696
00:51:46,895 --> 00:51:49,147
And that made me feel like I was floating.
697
00:51:59,616 --> 00:52:01,952
I thought it might be him
because of his pants.
698
00:52:02,452 --> 00:52:06,456
I remembered he was wearing similar ones,
so I said, "Yes, it's him."
699
00:52:06,456 --> 00:52:12,462
POLICE LINE - DO NOT CROSS
700
00:52:13,839 --> 00:52:16,091
They wouldn't let me near him
or touch him.
701
00:52:16,883 --> 00:52:20,053
They asked me to identify him,
then they pulled me away.
702
00:52:21,138 --> 00:52:22,514
It felt like a strong blow.
703
00:52:23,515 --> 00:52:24,975
I didn't know how to react.
704
00:52:24,975 --> 00:52:29,229
As I walked away, my first thought was,
“How am I going to tell my family?”
705
00:52:36,319 --> 00:52:38,029
When Amado called me,
706
00:52:38,029 --> 00:52:41,366
I asked him, "Are you sure?"
707
00:52:42,200 --> 00:52:44,077
I hugged my mom very tightly,
708
00:52:45,912 --> 00:52:47,372
and said, “He's gone.”
709
00:52:55,130 --> 00:52:56,089
At that moment,
710
00:52:57,299 --> 00:52:58,175
she understood.
711
00:53:14,274 --> 00:53:16,234
When they told me
they had found him,
712
00:53:17,944 --> 00:53:21,489
I hugged The Bible
and said, "Thank you so much."
713
00:53:26,953 --> 00:53:30,540
Because I was told
that so many people are taken
714
00:53:31,458 --> 00:53:33,168
and you never see them again.
715
00:53:34,211 --> 00:53:35,754
Not even their bodies.
716
00:53:37,714 --> 00:53:39,132
Neither dead or alive.
717
00:53:42,302 --> 00:53:45,305
I thanked God
because he gave me a body to bury
718
00:53:45,305 --> 00:53:48,600
and a place to bring him flowers.
719
00:53:53,355 --> 00:53:56,441
HOMERO'S BODY IS FOUND
720
00:53:56,441 --> 00:53:58,235
I sent a reporter
just for the day.
721
00:53:58,735 --> 00:54:00,862
He went with another group of journalists.
722
00:54:03,323 --> 00:54:04,824
He came back that same morning,
723
00:54:04,824 --> 00:54:07,994
because we didn't have a way
to report on the case properly.
724
00:54:09,788 --> 00:54:11,331
{\an8}HOMERO'S BODY IS FOUND
725
00:54:11,331 --> 00:54:13,124
HOMERO GÓMEZ IS FOUND DEAD
726
00:54:15,710 --> 00:54:18,088
Vans with armed men
were guarding the area.
727
00:54:21,841 --> 00:54:27,430
For us journalists, now more than ever,
Michoacán is now a zone of silence,
728
00:54:29,182 --> 00:54:31,017
because organized crime in that area
729
00:54:31,017 --> 00:54:33,645
takes immediate reprisals
against our colleagues.
730
00:54:35,730 --> 00:54:36,898
They don't mess around.
731
00:54:41,569 --> 00:54:43,321
{\an8}After 16 days of looking,
732
00:54:43,321 --> 00:54:47,158
{\an8}Mexican authorities found the body of
the environmental activist Homero Gómez.
733
00:54:47,158 --> 00:54:49,619
{\an8}Environmental and human rights advocates
in Mexico
734
00:54:49,619 --> 00:54:51,329
{\an8}claim to be at a constant risk.
735
00:54:53,290 --> 00:54:56,001
It wasn't only us family members
who lost a loved one.
736
00:54:56,001 --> 00:54:58,837
The whole world,
the monarch butterflies, and the forest
737
00:54:58,837 --> 00:55:00,088
lost a great protector.
738
00:55:01,423 --> 00:55:05,051
{\an8}Due to his activism,
Homero Gómez was under death threats.
739
00:55:05,051 --> 00:55:07,137
{\an8}He disappeared on January 13.
740
00:55:07,137 --> 00:55:10,765
One of Mexico's most iconic
species, the monarch butterfly,
741
00:55:10,765 --> 00:55:14,394
has just lost, perhaps,
its greatest defender.
742
00:55:14,978 --> 00:55:17,355
{\an8}In Michoacán, an alleged drowning
743
00:55:17,355 --> 00:55:22,277
{\an8}was the cause of the death of the activist
and protector of the monarch butterfly.
744
00:55:23,361 --> 00:55:26,197
{\an8}According to the Michoacán
Attorney General's office,
745
00:55:26,197 --> 00:55:31,494
{\an8}Homero Gómez's body was found
in a water well used for agriculture.
746
00:55:33,788 --> 00:55:37,792
So far, the initial
external examination of the body
747
00:55:38,335 --> 00:55:41,171
puts the time of death
at two to three weeks.
748
00:55:41,171 --> 00:55:42,255
{\an8}MICHOACÁN ATTORNEY GENERAL
749
00:55:42,255 --> 00:55:43,965
{\an8}No external injuries were found.
750
00:55:44,466 --> 00:55:46,885
{\an8}He had facial and nail cyanosis,
751
00:55:47,427 --> 00:55:50,680
{\an8}characteristics typical
of drowning asphyxia.
752
00:55:53,975 --> 00:55:56,227
On behalf
of the Attorney General's Office...
753
00:55:57,062 --> 00:55:59,898
I was upset
by what the prosecutor said.
754
00:56:00,732 --> 00:56:02,901
He said that it was an accidental death.
755
00:56:02,901 --> 00:56:04,527
That my dad had drowned.
756
00:56:06,154 --> 00:56:06,988
So...
757
00:56:09,532 --> 00:56:12,744
how come we were told
that my dad had blows to the head?
758
00:56:15,330 --> 00:56:19,667
According to the autopsy,
he suffered a trauma to the head.
759
00:56:20,668 --> 00:56:24,923
We assume that the blow to the head
was caused when he fell.
760
00:56:28,885 --> 00:56:33,765
However, I can assure you that the cause
of death was not due to the blow.
761
00:56:34,265 --> 00:56:36,518
So far, we don't have enough data
762
00:56:36,518 --> 00:56:39,562
that indicates
that he died a violent death.
763
00:56:42,524 --> 00:56:45,902
So, the most solid hypothesis
you have so far
764
00:56:45,902 --> 00:56:48,738
is that the body fell on January 13
765
00:56:48,738 --> 00:56:51,241
and floated until January 29?
766
00:56:52,617 --> 00:56:53,451
Yes.
767
00:56:56,830 --> 00:57:00,458
JANUARY 13, 14, 15
768
00:57:00,458 --> 00:57:04,587
JANUARY 16, 17, 18
769
00:57:04,587 --> 00:57:10,093
JANUARY 19, 20, 21, 22
770
00:57:10,093 --> 00:57:15,598
JANUARY 23, 24, 25, 26
771
00:57:15,598 --> 00:57:17,892
JANUARY 27, 28
772
00:57:17,892 --> 00:57:19,853
From a forensic perspective,
773
00:57:19,853 --> 00:57:22,480
you can tell
if a person was killed by trauma
774
00:57:22,480 --> 00:57:24,858
or if the victim died from a fall.
775
00:57:27,318 --> 00:57:30,447
{\an8}By that time, the body
should have shown signs of decomposition.
776
00:57:30,447 --> 00:57:31,364
{\an8}CORONER
777
00:57:31,364 --> 00:57:34,868
So it would've had a monstrous appearance.
778
00:57:35,535 --> 00:57:38,621
Bulging eyes, hair loss, skin detachment.
779
00:57:39,289 --> 00:57:40,832
Practically unrecognizable.
780
00:57:44,461 --> 00:57:46,880
He didn't even look wrinkled
or disfigured.
781
00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:48,548
His hands looked slightly wrinkled,
782
00:57:48,548 --> 00:57:51,134
like when you submerge
your hands in cold water.
783
00:57:55,388 --> 00:57:57,849
I thought they had
just recently thrown in him there
784
00:57:57,849 --> 00:57:59,726
because he looked intact.
785
00:58:00,351 --> 00:58:03,104
Even his clothes looked fine.
They looked clean.
786
00:58:03,646 --> 00:58:05,273
They didn't even look messy.
787
00:58:11,779 --> 00:58:14,657
It's a very cold place,
where temperatures at night
788
00:58:14,657 --> 00:58:17,952
can drop below freezing,
especially in the winter.
789
00:58:18,578 --> 00:58:22,832
The body was starting to decompose,
but due to the climate conditions,
790
00:58:22,832 --> 00:58:26,920
it was preserved,
and decomposition didn't occur.
791
00:58:30,548 --> 00:58:34,427
The prosecution presented their
version of how Homero's body was found.
792
00:58:35,637 --> 00:58:38,681
The Forensic Medical Service's report
on the cause of death.
793
00:58:40,141 --> 00:58:42,393
The report mentioned bronchoaspiration.
794
00:58:43,144 --> 00:58:46,773
The Prosecutor's Office dismissed the idea
that it could've been a homicide.
795
00:58:47,815 --> 00:58:49,317
Given Homero's significance,
796
00:58:49,943 --> 00:58:52,070
the extensive report was frustrating.
797
00:58:54,656 --> 00:58:55,865
We knew everything,
798
00:58:55,865 --> 00:58:58,493
and it didn't match
the prosecutor's version.
799
00:59:01,579 --> 00:59:03,248
We believe it wasn't an accident.
800
00:59:03,998 --> 00:59:06,251
It wasn't an accident. It was a murder.
801
00:59:08,545 --> 00:59:12,757
The location where the body was found
contradicts any alternative version.
802
00:59:14,008 --> 00:59:17,136
They didn't look
in the place where Homero was last seen.
803
00:59:18,263 --> 00:59:20,139
This is the most critical point
to emphasize.
804
00:59:21,099 --> 00:59:25,103
How could Homero
have been in that location for 16 days,
805
00:59:25,103 --> 00:59:26,854
and they failed to search there?
806
00:59:30,275 --> 00:59:34,529
{\an8}Juan, Homero's brother and I,
passed by the well where he was found...
807
00:59:34,529 --> 00:59:35,446
{\an8}HOMERO'S FRIEND
808
00:59:35,446 --> 00:59:36,990
{\an8}...and there was nothing there.
809
00:59:41,828 --> 00:59:45,290
If we consider the geographical
and climatic characteristics
810
00:59:45,290 --> 00:59:47,834
of the site where the body was found
at that time,
811
00:59:48,543 --> 00:59:52,422
15 days is suspicious
to find a body in that condition.
812
00:59:52,422 --> 00:59:54,465
'Cause the corpse was still fresh.
813
00:59:54,465 --> 00:59:58,011
It couldn't have been preserved
for 15 days with those characteristics.
814
00:59:59,387 --> 01:00:00,805
It's practically impossible.
815
01:00:01,723 --> 01:00:07,270
So everything indicates that he had only
been in the water for a few hours at most.
816
01:00:09,230 --> 01:00:11,899
That's why we think someone kidnapped him.
817
01:00:13,693 --> 01:00:17,447
And when they felt the pressure
from the government and the public,
818
01:00:18,406 --> 01:00:21,242
maybe they went and dumped him there
to mislead everyone.
819
01:00:27,665 --> 01:00:31,586
People told us that, at
the well where my father's body was found,
820
01:00:33,087 --> 01:00:36,132
early that morning,
the well was surrounded by cars.
821
01:00:36,674 --> 01:00:38,468
They unloaded things there.
822
01:00:43,056 --> 01:00:45,183
When the people in the community
told the family
823
01:00:45,183 --> 01:00:47,935
that Homero was detained in El Soldado,
824
01:00:47,935 --> 01:00:50,104
that's because the residents of the area
825
01:00:50,104 --> 01:00:54,859
know that some of the detention centers
and safe houses are in El Soldado.
826
01:00:54,859 --> 01:00:58,946
In other words, people are kidnapped,
taken there, and left there.
827
01:00:58,946 --> 01:01:01,991
The community knows
when they go in and come out.
828
01:01:01,991 --> 01:01:04,202
Sometimes they're members
of rival cartels.
829
01:01:04,202 --> 01:01:07,205
Sometimes they're leaders,
like in the case of Homero.
830
01:01:07,705 --> 01:01:11,125
Sometimes they're people
kidnapped for economic purposes.
831
01:01:11,125 --> 01:01:13,211
Everyone knows who they are,
832
01:01:13,211 --> 01:01:16,047
how many there are,
and where they're located.
833
01:01:16,047 --> 01:01:19,634
That's why people had information
about Homero's whereabouts,
834
01:01:19,634 --> 01:01:22,261
and why the authorities
weren't looking there.
835
01:01:22,261 --> 01:01:25,098
They searched here,
but evidently they knew.
836
01:01:28,810 --> 01:01:31,479
As a coroner, as a forensic doctor,
837
01:01:31,479 --> 01:01:33,272
as a scientist in this field,
838
01:01:33,981 --> 01:01:35,858
I see a poor investigation.
839
01:01:37,610 --> 01:01:40,321
The Prosecutor's Office is reporting
840
01:01:40,321 --> 01:01:43,491
according to the data
that has been verified so far.
841
01:01:43,991 --> 01:01:44,992
Thank you very much.
842
01:01:47,036 --> 01:01:49,080
If it wasn't complicity
by direct involvement,
843
01:01:49,080 --> 01:01:51,082
it was complicity by omission.
844
01:01:51,082 --> 01:01:53,835
INTENTIONAL HOMICIDE
SPECIALIZED UNIT
845
01:01:53,835 --> 01:01:56,129
All signs point to it being deliberate.
846
01:01:56,963 --> 01:02:00,299
But to confirm it,
an extensive investigation is needed.
847
01:02:00,925 --> 01:02:05,388
{\an8}The fact that he died from drowning
is similar to other activist cases.
848
01:02:07,265 --> 01:02:11,310
{\an8}Abisai Pérez Romero was
found dead in Tula de Allende in Hidalgo.
849
01:02:11,310 --> 01:02:13,396
{\an8}He documented pollution in Tula.
850
01:02:13,396 --> 01:02:16,566
{\an8}According to the autopsy,
he showed no signs of violence.
851
01:02:17,358 --> 01:02:21,988
Environmentalist and caretaker
of a howler monkey reserve, José Álvarez,
852
01:02:21,988 --> 01:02:23,364
was murdered in Chiapas.
853
01:02:23,364 --> 01:02:27,410
{\an8}His body was found on the Emiliano Zapata
Highway, next to Calatrava.
854
01:02:27,994 --> 01:02:31,622
{\an8}Environmental defender Adán Vez Lira
was murdered.
855
01:02:32,540 --> 01:02:34,375
{\an8}He carried out
significant work
856
01:02:34,375 --> 01:02:37,837
{\an8}to protect the ecosystems
on the coast of Veracruz.
857
01:02:37,837 --> 01:02:39,589
{\an8}The Human Rights Commission
858
01:02:39,589 --> 01:02:42,592
{\an8}expressed sorrow over the murder
of Margarito González,
859
01:02:42,592 --> 01:02:43,801
{\an8}environmental defender
860
01:02:43,801 --> 01:02:47,597
{\an8}and advocate for the sacred sites
of the Wixárica community.
861
01:02:48,222 --> 01:02:50,725
Samir Flores, an activist
who opposed the construction
862
01:02:50,725 --> 01:02:53,603
of the thermoelectric plant in Huexca,
was assassinated.
863
01:02:53,603 --> 01:02:57,815
Samir didn't die.
The government killed him!
864
01:02:57,815 --> 01:03:03,988
{\an8}We are allowing environmental activists
to be murdered with impunity in Mexico.
865
01:03:06,073 --> 01:03:07,784
{\an8}The Prosecutor's Office reported
866
01:03:07,784 --> 01:03:10,953
{\an8}that activist Homero Gómez was found dead.
867
01:03:10,953 --> 01:03:14,165
{\an8}Initial findings say
there were no signs of violence.
868
01:03:14,165 --> 01:03:16,417
{\an8}It's possible that he died by drowning.
869
01:03:25,384 --> 01:03:28,429
The Prosecutor's Office
gave us his belongings.
870
01:03:29,263 --> 01:03:32,058
He had money and his documents
in his pants.
871
01:03:32,058 --> 01:03:35,603
But when I asked the people
handling the case for the car keys,
872
01:03:35,603 --> 01:03:37,021
they said he didn't have car keys.
873
01:03:37,897 --> 01:03:40,107
I asked, "Why haven't you examined this?"
874
01:03:40,650 --> 01:03:44,695
"They took his cell phones.
They probably also took the car key too."
875
01:03:45,404 --> 01:03:46,864
I was so pissed off.
876
01:03:50,034 --> 01:03:53,621
Days went by, and then they finally said
they found the car key.
877
01:03:54,330 --> 01:03:57,166
They said, "We couldn't find it
because it was buried."
878
01:03:58,000 --> 01:04:00,753
In the evidence picture, the key is dry.
879
01:04:00,753 --> 01:04:02,713
It doesn't have dirt or stains on it.
880
01:04:04,465 --> 01:04:07,176
The keys were handed over as found.
881
01:04:07,176 --> 01:04:11,138
They weren't tampered with,
because when collecting evidence,
882
01:04:12,056 --> 01:04:15,101
forensic experts
do everything with gloves,
883
01:04:16,227 --> 01:04:19,105
following protocols
to prevent contamination.
884
01:04:25,403 --> 01:04:29,323
They asked me to bring the car back,
because they'd forgotten to take pictures.
885
01:04:30,491 --> 01:04:34,287
I had to bring it back so they could
take pictures inside and outside the car
886
01:04:34,287 --> 01:04:36,122
to have proof of how they found it.
887
01:04:37,248 --> 01:04:38,708
It made no sense,
888
01:04:38,708 --> 01:04:41,836
since I had been using the car
for about a week in order to move around
889
01:04:41,836 --> 01:04:42,962
and continue the search.
890
01:04:44,255 --> 01:04:46,924
They took pictures of it
as if it had just been found.
891
01:04:47,425 --> 01:04:49,802
And those are the photos
they have as evidence.
892
01:04:53,097 --> 01:04:56,726
We were in close contact with a source
we had in the Prosecutor's Office.
893
01:04:57,894 --> 01:05:01,647
From the very beginning, we saw
a lot of manipulation in Homero's case
894
01:05:02,732 --> 01:05:05,484
because there were things
that were simply unbelievable.
895
01:05:07,695 --> 01:05:11,324
I wanted the public officials
that were with my dad to be investigated.
896
01:05:14,619 --> 01:05:17,830
They told us that someone
had his iPad and phone.
897
01:05:17,830 --> 01:05:20,082
We said, "They have his mobile devices?"
898
01:05:22,376 --> 01:05:26,547
The individuals with his phone
charged the battery and answered a call.
899
01:05:27,048 --> 01:05:30,760
And as a result, the prosecution
found out where the phone was.
900
01:05:34,180 --> 01:05:36,807
{\an8}At first, this group
of public officials were suspects.
901
01:05:36,807 --> 01:05:39,018
{\an8}FORMER OCAMPO TRUSTEE
KARINA ALVARADO'S ASSISTANT
902
01:05:39,018 --> 01:05:41,395
{\an8}The young man with his belongings
was their assistant.
903
01:05:41,395 --> 01:05:43,564
{\an8}HEAD OF PRD PARTY IN MICHOACÁN
FORMER OCAMPO ALDERWOMAN
904
01:05:44,148 --> 01:05:46,651
He said that my brother
left his things behind,
905
01:05:46,651 --> 01:05:48,361
so he kept them safe.
906
01:05:49,403 --> 01:05:53,115
And he didn't see my brother after that,
so he took them.
907
01:05:57,703 --> 01:06:00,414
My name is Elizabeth Guzmán Vilchis.
908
01:06:00,414 --> 01:06:01,791
I'm from Ocampo.
909
01:06:03,125 --> 01:06:05,544
I felt guilty, because I told myself,
910
01:06:06,128 --> 01:06:09,548
"If I hadn't called him,
none of this would've happened."
911
01:06:11,092 --> 01:06:12,426
But you never know.
912
01:06:16,389 --> 01:06:18,599
Several political colleagues were there.
913
01:06:19,141 --> 01:06:21,018
{\an8}One of them was Karina Alvarado.
914
01:06:21,018 --> 01:06:25,106
{\an8}And Octavio Ocampo Córdoba,
who was the local congressman at the time.
915
01:06:25,106 --> 01:06:26,023
{\an8}OCAMPO TRUSTEE
916
01:06:27,483 --> 01:06:29,193
{\an8}My name is Octavio Ocampo.
917
01:06:29,193 --> 01:06:31,320
{\an8}I knew him through public life.
918
01:06:31,320 --> 01:06:32,571
{\an8}HEAD OF PRD PARTY IN MICHOACÁN
919
01:06:32,571 --> 01:06:34,240
{\an8}Homero was also a politician,
920
01:06:34,865 --> 01:06:39,161
{\an8}besides being an environmental activist
and forest protector.
921
01:06:40,955 --> 01:06:43,666
Horse races are very popular
with the public.
922
01:06:48,212 --> 01:06:50,715
We had the chance
to meet him at the races.
923
01:06:51,465 --> 01:06:53,467
We only exchanged a few greetings.
924
01:06:54,218 --> 01:06:57,513
I probably left
at around 6:00 in the afternoon.
925
01:06:58,097 --> 01:06:59,306
It wasn't even dark yet.
926
01:07:02,476 --> 01:07:05,354
We said goodbye,
and I went home, and he stayed there.
927
01:07:09,734 --> 01:07:13,112
To tell you the truth,
our meeting was quite brief,
928
01:07:13,112 --> 01:07:16,073
and I had no idea someone took his things.
929
01:07:26,042 --> 01:07:28,377
We spent approximately
two hours with him,
930
01:07:28,377 --> 01:07:30,421
along with all the others I mentioned.
931
01:07:33,632 --> 01:07:36,260
First, Octavio Ocampo started singing.
932
01:07:36,761 --> 01:07:38,262
I don't remember which song.
933
01:07:38,971 --> 01:07:40,264
The rest of us danced.
934
01:07:41,557 --> 01:07:44,727
Then, Homero and Octavio
started singing together.
935
01:07:48,022 --> 01:07:48,981
In the photographs,
936
01:07:48,981 --> 01:07:52,902
you can see that he has his iPad and phone
with him the whole time.
937
01:07:52,902 --> 01:07:55,863
He didn't even leave
his devices behind to dance.
938
01:07:55,863 --> 01:08:00,117
My colleagues argued that he left
or forgot his devices at a drink stand.
939
01:08:02,912 --> 01:08:05,456
It seems weird to me that,
if we were all together,
940
01:08:05,456 --> 01:08:08,292
and I see that you leave something behind,
941
01:08:08,292 --> 01:08:10,503
I would give it to you right away, no?
942
01:08:10,503 --> 01:08:12,046
Why would I take it with me?
943
01:08:18,094 --> 01:08:21,472
It was Karina who took them
and then gave them to her photographer.
944
01:08:25,101 --> 01:08:27,520
We have some information about it,
945
01:08:27,520 --> 01:08:31,023
but not enough to open an investigation.
946
01:08:35,236 --> 01:08:38,364
About six months later,
I went to the Prosecutor's Office.
947
01:08:38,364 --> 01:08:40,825
I ran into a colleague
who had been at the event.
948
01:08:40,825 --> 01:08:42,493
She told me, "Hey, guess what?"
949
01:08:42,493 --> 01:08:45,913
"Karina's photographer was killed
shortly after this happened."
950
01:08:47,998 --> 01:08:52,128
{\an8}KARINA ALVARADO'S ASSISTANT
951
01:08:57,216 --> 01:09:00,094
A commander
of the investigation unit told me,
952
01:09:00,094 --> 01:09:02,096
"We're concerned about something."
953
01:09:02,096 --> 01:09:06,308
"Karina and Deputy Octavio
filed for a writ of protection."
954
01:09:06,308 --> 01:09:07,434
"Why didn't you?"
955
01:09:07,434 --> 01:09:10,646
Why would I do that?
I didn't do anything wrong.
956
01:09:10,646 --> 01:09:14,441
I'm a lawyer, and I see no benefit
in filing for protection,
957
01:09:14,441 --> 01:09:17,194
because, after all, I'm not responsible.
958
01:09:21,991 --> 01:09:24,493
We know
that people who were with Homero
959
01:09:24,493 --> 01:09:29,039
obtained legal protection to avoid
being investigated or interrogated.
960
01:09:29,999 --> 01:09:31,542
Can you tell us what happened?
961
01:09:33,544 --> 01:09:35,129
They have every right to do so,
962
01:09:35,129 --> 01:09:38,048
but we respect the decisions
made by the authorities.
963
01:09:43,137 --> 01:09:46,599
I've never been detained.
I've never had any motives.
964
01:09:46,599 --> 01:09:47,892
Same as now.
965
01:09:51,979 --> 01:09:53,189
I don't understand.
966
01:09:53,189 --> 01:09:55,983
Why protect yourself
from something you weren't involved in?
967
01:09:55,983 --> 01:09:57,526
Unless they were involved.
968
01:09:59,862 --> 01:10:02,489
I can firmly say
it's impossible.
969
01:10:03,240 --> 01:10:06,660
This colleague who was there,
she's totally innocent.
970
01:10:07,494 --> 01:10:09,496
She had nothing to do with this.
971
01:10:10,873 --> 01:10:12,666
The other colleague who was there too,
972
01:10:12,666 --> 01:10:15,419
I don't know
if he was a deputy at the time.
973
01:10:16,128 --> 01:10:19,965
He's a very healthy young man,
with no ulterior motives.
974
01:10:22,218 --> 01:10:23,427
Did they hide something?
975
01:10:24,053 --> 01:10:26,180
Well, I can't confirm that.
976
01:10:26,805 --> 01:10:30,517
But I'm convinced
that there's nothing there.
977
01:10:33,729 --> 01:10:37,441
When Silvano became governor,
Octavio Ocampo was a deputy.
978
01:10:37,983 --> 01:10:40,945
Silvano, Octavio Ocampo,
and Karina Alvarado
979
01:10:40,945 --> 01:10:42,446
were always together.
980
01:10:44,949 --> 01:10:47,826
Why did Karina's friend
have Homero's belongings?
981
01:10:48,327 --> 01:10:52,498
Why did Karina and Octavio Ocampo
file for a writ of protection?
982
01:10:53,165 --> 01:10:55,501
Up to this point, they're not suspects.
983
01:10:59,129 --> 01:11:02,800
I just wanted them to
give their testimony of what had happened
984
01:11:03,550 --> 01:11:06,136
because they were the last people
who were with him.
985
01:11:07,471 --> 01:11:09,223
Not because I think they're guilty,
986
01:11:09,765 --> 01:11:12,935
but because I believe
they might have information
987
01:11:12,935 --> 01:11:16,647
that could lead to the arrest
of the people who actually did it.
988
01:11:20,276 --> 01:11:24,238
Homero was a very important
figure who condemned illegal logging
989
01:11:24,238 --> 01:11:26,865
as one of the main causes
of damage to the reserve
990
01:11:26,865 --> 01:11:28,784
where the monarch butterfly dwells.
991
01:11:29,368 --> 01:11:32,955
The symbol that was established
for the TLC at the time.
992
01:11:34,623 --> 01:11:36,292
There was no accident there.
993
01:11:36,292 --> 01:11:38,585
Someone not only wanted to eliminate him,
994
01:11:39,336 --> 01:11:42,131
{\an8}they also wanted to send a message
to any other social leader
995
01:11:42,131 --> 01:11:46,051
{\an8}who dared to protect
the trees and the communities.
996
01:11:47,303 --> 01:11:49,346
I heard that the Prosecutor's Office
997
01:11:49,346 --> 01:11:52,099
was gonna investigate
my uncles Amado and Juan.
998
01:11:52,099 --> 01:11:55,185
They said it was odd that they were
so concerned about the case.
999
01:11:55,185 --> 01:11:56,687
That perhaps they were involved.
1000
01:11:56,687 --> 01:11:59,189
So they were gonna
start investigating them.
1001
01:12:00,065 --> 01:12:04,486
The Michoacán Prosecutor's Office
often engages in judicial harassment
1002
01:12:04,486 --> 01:12:07,781
against the relatives
of the murdered victim to deter them.
1003
01:12:08,282 --> 01:12:12,911
To hinder them, and to prevent them
from asking uncomfortable questions.
1004
01:12:13,412 --> 01:12:16,290
This is not the first time
the Michoacán Prosecutor's Office
1005
01:12:16,290 --> 01:12:18,250
has resorted to this tactic.
1006
01:12:18,250 --> 01:12:21,170
They turn the investigation
against the victims
1007
01:12:21,170 --> 01:12:25,424
in order to make them withdraw,
halt the media coverage of the case,
1008
01:12:25,424 --> 01:12:28,802
and ultimately, to stop
the pressure on authorities.
1009
01:12:35,142 --> 01:12:38,354
I decided to withdraw
from the investigation out of fear
1010
01:12:39,188 --> 01:12:43,067
because as they progressed,
you don't know what you're getting into.
1011
01:12:43,984 --> 01:12:45,277
The family is exposed.
1012
01:12:45,819 --> 01:12:49,907
That's why, to a large extent,
we decided to leave the investigation,
1013
01:12:49,907 --> 01:12:51,867
out of concern for our safety.
1014
01:13:02,544 --> 01:13:05,005
As you can see,
we have eight volumes.
1015
01:13:10,761 --> 01:13:13,430
Well, you may see a pile of paper,
1016
01:13:13,430 --> 01:13:16,308
but the work we carried out is here.
1017
01:13:18,227 --> 01:13:21,563
And up to this point,
contained in these files,
1018
01:13:23,107 --> 01:13:25,818
there is no conclusive information
1019
01:13:25,818 --> 01:13:29,279
that suggests that Homero
died a violent death.
1020
01:13:33,909 --> 01:13:36,829
We only have scientific evidence
1021
01:13:36,829 --> 01:13:40,416
that Homero died from mechanical asphyxia.
1022
01:13:42,251 --> 01:13:43,669
Meaning he drowned.
1023
01:13:52,594 --> 01:13:55,681
The authorities' version
not only doesn't make sense,
1024
01:13:56,807 --> 01:13:58,225
but becomes dismissive,
1025
01:13:58,934 --> 01:14:03,147
and humiliates the intelligence
of the media, the readers,
1026
01:14:03,147 --> 01:14:04,815
and Homero's memory itself.
1027
01:14:10,446 --> 01:14:12,573
They do this
so regional prosecutors
1028
01:14:12,573 --> 01:14:15,534
don't issue arrest warrants
against illegal loggers,
1029
01:14:15,534 --> 01:14:18,370
so that hitmen
and criminal leaders are released,
1030
01:14:18,370 --> 01:14:20,205
and so that the state police
1031
01:14:20,205 --> 01:14:25,294
that participate in guarding convoys
of illegally-harvested wood is protected.
1032
01:14:25,294 --> 01:14:28,213
The involvement of the authorities
is necessary.
1033
01:14:28,213 --> 01:14:32,384
And we are talking about the regional
prosecutors and the state police.
1034
01:14:32,384 --> 01:14:33,760
And for this to happen,
1035
01:14:33,760 --> 01:14:36,597
there must be an agreement
with the heads of government.
1036
01:14:39,099 --> 01:14:40,517
I don't have evidence,
1037
01:14:40,517 --> 01:14:45,647
but I have no doubt that Homero's murder
was ordered by members of organized crime.
1038
01:14:46,148 --> 01:14:49,234
He was bringing the attention of media
and the government
1039
01:14:49,234 --> 01:14:52,779
to an area where they wanted
to cover their illicit activities
1040
01:14:52,779 --> 01:14:54,615
with a veil of darkness.
1041
01:14:57,451 --> 01:14:59,369
Andrés,
can you explain to us
1042
01:14:59,369 --> 01:15:01,830
who these people are
that are logging illegally?
1043
01:15:06,710 --> 01:15:07,836
I can't answer that.
1044
01:15:09,296 --> 01:15:10,380
I'm sorry. No.
1045
01:15:11,131 --> 01:15:14,843
That's okay. Are you afraid
you might put your life at risk?
1046
01:15:16,845 --> 01:15:17,679
Yes.
1047
01:15:18,889 --> 01:15:21,350
My life and the lives of my colleagues.
1048
01:15:22,476 --> 01:15:25,312
The loggers, the avocado growers,
1049
01:15:25,312 --> 01:15:29,983
and the transportation businesses
are all controlled by organized crime.
1050
01:15:30,484 --> 01:15:34,321
Locals must pay them a share
of their earnings to be allowed to work.
1051
01:15:35,739 --> 01:15:37,908
If any of them fail to comply,
1052
01:15:37,908 --> 01:15:39,243
they risk being killed.
1053
01:15:39,826 --> 01:15:44,331
They must comply with the state,
but also with the municipality.
1054
01:15:46,083 --> 01:15:48,961
Violence continues unabated in Mexico.
1055
01:15:48,961 --> 01:15:51,755
Omar Colina Lanis,
secretary of Ocampo in Michoacán,
1056
01:15:51,755 --> 01:15:55,842
{\an8}and his father were shot dead
in the municipality of Zitácuaro.
1057
01:15:55,842 --> 01:15:58,929
{\an8}Their bodies were found
inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds.
1058
01:15:58,929 --> 01:16:00,305
{\an8}The prosecutor of Michoacán
1059
01:16:00,305 --> 01:16:04,309
{\an8}is already conducting the corresponding
investigations of the case.
1060
01:16:08,313 --> 01:16:10,482
Regarding the case
of the Biosphere Reserve
1061
01:16:10,482 --> 01:16:13,527
and the murder of Homero,
it was like a butterfly effect.
1062
01:16:17,364 --> 01:16:19,366
Let's take the Super Bowl for example.
1063
01:16:20,492 --> 01:16:24,204
A Super Bowl fan buys a hot dog
or a hamburger with avocado.
1064
01:16:30,419 --> 01:16:32,796
But this avocado,
to reach the United States,
1065
01:16:34,047 --> 01:16:38,594
it has to pass through fake customs
controls ignored by the authorities.
1066
01:16:44,266 --> 01:16:50,147
This avocado was produced in Michoacán
in an area controlled by the cartels.
1067
01:16:50,147 --> 01:16:52,899
Before producing avocados, they deforested
1068
01:16:52,899 --> 01:16:57,362
by illegally logging wood
in an area which was defended by locals.
1069
01:16:58,488 --> 01:17:00,157
In this case, like Homero.
1070
01:17:00,782 --> 01:17:03,035
We must break the chain at some point.
1071
01:17:03,535 --> 01:17:05,621
Either in the US or in Mexico.
1072
01:17:05,621 --> 01:17:08,707
Maybe with the intervention
of the federal authorities.
1073
01:17:08,707 --> 01:17:11,710
But something is going wrong somewhere.
1074
01:17:11,710 --> 01:17:14,212
I think everything
is going wrong in Michoacán.
1075
01:17:14,713 --> 01:17:16,381
An old friend used to say,
1076
01:17:16,381 --> 01:17:19,092
"Everything that could go wrong
in Michoacán
1077
01:17:19,092 --> 01:17:20,427
went even worse."
1078
01:17:23,513 --> 01:17:28,226
Michoacán loses
almost 175,000 acres of forest every year.
1079
01:17:28,226 --> 01:17:30,479
This is a third of the region
in eastern Michoacán,
1080
01:17:30,479 --> 01:17:33,440
and the truth is
that it happens right under our noses.
1081
01:17:37,069 --> 01:17:40,781
The monarch butterfly, known
for its orange, black, and brown wings,
1082
01:17:40,781 --> 01:17:42,616
was declared endangered last July
1083
01:17:42,616 --> 01:17:45,285
by the International Union
of Conservation of Nature.
1084
01:17:49,164 --> 01:17:52,334
Forty years after one of the
most beautiful discoveries on the planet,
1085
01:17:52,334 --> 01:17:55,170
the migration of the monarch butterfly
is in danger.
1086
01:18:00,258 --> 01:18:02,010
The monarch
butterfly population
1087
01:18:02,010 --> 01:18:05,555
has declined by between 22% and 72%
1088
01:18:05,555 --> 01:18:06,765
over the past decade.
1089
01:18:11,812 --> 01:18:13,772
Scientists blame climate change,
1090
01:18:13,772 --> 01:18:15,816
pesticides, and illegal logging.
1091
01:18:27,202 --> 01:18:30,580
It's a fact that the monarch butterfly
could disappear.
1092
01:18:45,762 --> 01:18:48,724
We will continue our fight.
We have an advantage.
1093
01:18:49,224 --> 01:18:52,894
In order to get to the reserve,
they must pass through the village.
1094
01:18:53,395 --> 01:18:56,106
And in the village, we are standing guard.
1095
01:18:56,106 --> 01:18:59,151
Even if they kill us all,
we'll fight to the end,
1096
01:18:59,151 --> 01:19:02,404
because we'll protect this place
with all of our might,
1097
01:19:02,404 --> 01:19:05,490
just as our comrade, Homero,
used to protect it.
1098
01:19:07,075 --> 01:19:10,203
As a family,
we knew it wasn't an accident.
1099
01:19:11,621 --> 01:19:13,206
What message are we sending
1100
01:19:14,291 --> 01:19:18,336
if there's no accountability
in all of this?
1101
01:19:32,434 --> 01:19:35,645
When we arrived with Homero,
the place was full of people.
1102
01:19:35,645 --> 01:19:39,274
Friends and family, members from
various communities, waiting for him.
1103
01:19:44,946 --> 01:19:49,618
When I saw the hearse,
I had this sensation that I can't explain.
1104
01:19:50,702 --> 01:19:52,537
My eyes filled with tears,
1105
01:19:52,537 --> 01:19:55,707
and I felt so sad
knowing that he was in the hearse.
1106
01:20:06,760 --> 01:20:09,179
I wanted to take him
in the same hearse he came in.
1107
01:20:10,263 --> 01:20:11,973
But the people didn't want that.
1108
01:20:12,599 --> 01:20:14,726
The people wanted to carry the coffin.
1109
01:20:23,568 --> 01:20:26,530
And people
from everywhere started to approach.
1110
01:20:27,030 --> 01:20:28,490
We all surrounded him.
1111
01:20:35,872 --> 01:20:37,707
And he was taken one last time
1112
01:20:37,707 --> 01:20:40,961
to the place where he was photographed
with his butterfly wings.
1113
01:20:41,753 --> 01:20:44,798
Homero is here! We can feel it.
1114
01:20:44,798 --> 01:20:47,300
Homero will take care of them!
1115
01:20:57,978 --> 01:20:59,646
I couldn't believe it.
1116
01:20:59,646 --> 01:21:03,108
In the same place where I had recently
taken a picture of him,
1117
01:21:03,108 --> 01:21:05,694
looking so happy with his arms wide open,
1118
01:21:06,194 --> 01:21:09,281
he was now in that same place
for the very last time.
1119
01:21:14,828 --> 01:21:18,123
He worked tirelessly
to preserve our forests.
1120
01:21:18,832 --> 01:21:20,959
We searched tirelessly for him.
1121
01:21:27,382 --> 01:21:31,177
We want his family to know
that they have our solidarity.
1122
01:21:31,720 --> 01:21:33,388
All his people are here.
1123
01:21:33,388 --> 01:21:34,681
We're all here.
1124
01:21:41,438 --> 01:21:43,106
Thank you to everyone.
1125
01:22:01,958 --> 01:22:03,293
We're very sad.
1126
01:22:05,462 --> 01:22:07,589
I knew how much we were going to miss him.
1127
01:22:12,761 --> 01:22:13,803
I even cried.
1128
01:23:00,058 --> 01:23:06,940
NOVEMBER 2, 2022
EL ROSARIO, MICHOACÁN
1129
01:23:24,791 --> 01:23:26,668
On the Day of the Dead,
1130
01:23:26,668 --> 01:23:30,505
we traditionally go to the cemetery
to place a wreath on the grave
1131
01:23:31,047 --> 01:23:34,092
and decorate the grave
with flowers and other things.
1132
01:23:35,969 --> 01:23:37,512
Here. Here it is.
1133
01:23:40,223 --> 01:23:41,307
{\an8}It won't hold.
1134
01:23:41,307 --> 01:23:42,225
{\an8}HOMERO'S MOM
1135
01:23:57,699 --> 01:23:59,826
Mary, mother of grace and mother of mercy...
1136
01:24:02,704 --> 01:24:04,414
Sacred Heart of Jesus...
1137
01:24:07,208 --> 01:24:09,210
The Otomí and Mazahua beliefs
1138
01:24:09,210 --> 01:24:12,255
already referred to them
as the souls of the dead.
1139
01:24:12,756 --> 01:24:15,675
Homero later called them
"brides of the sun."
1140
01:24:33,109 --> 01:24:35,653
The butterflies
are coming down to get water.
1141
01:24:36,488 --> 01:24:38,406
Later, they'll be looking for flowers.
1142
01:24:39,074 --> 01:24:42,410
The travelers, the harvesters,
the brides of the sun.
1143
01:24:43,078 --> 01:24:44,537
The souls of the dead.
1144
01:24:47,957 --> 01:24:50,627
I believe
my dad comes back with the butterflies.
1145
01:24:50,627 --> 01:24:52,712
That's why I like to go to the sanctuary
1146
01:24:52,712 --> 01:24:55,131
and immerse myself
among the butterflies alone.
1147
01:25:04,891 --> 01:25:06,976
I feel
as if he's there with me.
1148
01:25:07,560 --> 01:25:11,940
And together, we're watching the show,
waiting for the sunlight to touch them
1149
01:25:11,940 --> 01:25:13,858
and see how they all flutter around.
1150
01:25:25,203 --> 01:25:27,664
I start to recall
all those moments
1151
01:25:27,664 --> 01:25:31,000
and talk to him as if he was there with me
but recalling the past.
1152
01:25:32,544 --> 01:25:33,586
Oxygen.
1153
01:25:33,586 --> 01:25:35,964
- What do butterflies breathe?
- Really?
1154
01:25:35,964 --> 01:25:39,175
That's why there have to be trees
in order for them to live.
1155
01:25:39,175 --> 01:25:41,136
So this is where butterflies come to rest.
1156
01:25:45,932 --> 01:25:47,892
So at moments,
I laugh alone,
1157
01:25:47,892 --> 01:25:50,353
because I feel like I'm talking to my dad.
1158
01:26:07,120 --> 01:26:09,789
Maybe I'll become
the new guardian of the butterflies.
1159
01:26:12,167 --> 01:26:15,128
I do want to follow
in my father's footsteps.
1160
01:26:15,879 --> 01:26:17,088
It's what he taught me.
1161
01:26:18,173 --> 01:26:21,384
I want to continue this
so his legacy can keep growing.
1162
01:26:25,096 --> 01:26:27,348
I'm not afraid, because my dad always said
1163
01:26:27,348 --> 01:26:30,435
that if we're gonna do something,
we must do it without fear.
1164
01:26:30,435 --> 01:26:32,145
I am determined to do this.
1165
01:26:51,623 --> 01:26:55,251
IN 2022, THE MIGRATORY MONARCH BUTTERFLY
1166
01:26:55,251 --> 01:26:56,628
WAS DECLARED ENDANGERED
1167
01:26:58,171 --> 01:27:01,090
THE INVESTIGATION OF HOMERO'S DEATH
REMAINS OPEN
1168
01:27:01,090 --> 01:27:04,969
BUT NO UPDATES HAVE BEEN REPORTED
1169
01:27:06,221 --> 01:27:07,180
Thank you.
1170
01:27:09,265 --> 01:27:11,392
Let's see what information
you cherry-pick.
1171
01:27:13,561 --> 01:27:19,609
KARINA ALVARADO
REFUSED TO GIVE AN INTERVIEW
1172
01:27:20,151 --> 01:27:23,363
Silvano has committed himself,
but he has not complied.
1173
01:27:23,363 --> 01:27:25,323
Let's see what they end up deciding to do.
1174
01:27:25,323 --> 01:27:27,992
We'll make sure
that no one cuts down any trees.
1175
01:27:27,992 --> 01:27:30,495
SILVANO AUREOLES IS UNDER INVESTIGATION
1176
01:27:30,495 --> 01:27:33,790
FOR ILLICIT GAIN, EMBEZZLEMENT,
AND ORGANIZED CRIME
1177
01:27:39,504 --> 01:27:42,632
IN 2022, AMADO GÓMEZ
WAS ELECTED OCAMPO'S MAYOR
1178
01:27:42,632 --> 01:27:46,511
AMADO IS PROTECTED BY GUARDS
DUE TO THE RISK OF ATTACKS AGAINST HIM
1179
01:27:51,891 --> 01:27:55,895
MEXICO IS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST COUNTRIES
IN THE WORLD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS
1180
01:27:55,895 --> 01:27:59,440
MOST OF THEIR HOMICIDES GO UNPUNISHED