April 27, 2025 will mark 15 years since the murders of Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola, defenders of human rights killed in San Juan Copala, Oaxaca while participating in a humanitarian caravan that arrived to help indigenous communities. Despite the time that has gone by, those responsible for the crime continue to go unpunished.
In this context, the artist exhibition “Seeds that Bloom” continues its journey as an homage to struggle and as a tool to demand justice. The show, which includes 29 pieces in different artistic forms (paintings, posters, poetry, and music), has been created by local, national, and international artists to make visible the importance of defending human rights and demanding justice.
AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR MEMORY AND JUSTICE
Since its inauguration, the exhibition has traveled through different cities and countries. In December, 2023, it arrived at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, where its message transcended borders. Additionally, it has been accompanied by a campaign to raise awareness in collaboration with different organizations in the Basque Country, Dijon (France), Zürich (Switzerland), and Bielefeld (Germany).
In May, 2024, the exhibition arrived in Tampere and Helsinki, Finland, where it was presented in various locations, including in the World Village Festival, an international event where thousands of people could learn the story of Bety and Juri and their fight for justice.
In Mexico, “Seeds that Bloom” has been presented in Oaxaca as a space of memory and a demand for justice. Additionally, in November of 2025, the exhibition will be shown in the Universidad Iberoamericana in Puebla, joining the international campaign in the defense of human rights.
NEXT PRESENTATION IN TEHUACÁN, PUEBLA
As part of its tour, “Seeds that Bloom” will arrive in Tehuacán, Puebla from March 6 to April 1, 2025. This new presentation seeks to bring the memory of Bety and Jyri to more people, strengthening the demand for justice and reflecting on the impunity that persists in Mexico.
In addition to the artistic exhibition, presentations and panels on human rights will be held to discuss the participation of women in resistance, the impunity in Mexico, and the international relation of solidarity.
Individuals who will participate in these activities include:
• Michel Salas, feminist lawyer and defender of human rights
• Carlos Beas, defender of land and territory
• Sara Méndez, defender of human rights
• Ekhiotz Prieto, member of the Betyren Lagunak Collective
The panel will be moderated by Omar Esparza, the coordinator of the Indigenous Zapatista Agrarian Movement.
A STEP TOWARD JUSTICE
15 years after the crime, the families of Bety Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola have brought the case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights due to the lack of advances by the Mexican judicial system. Impunity not only revictimizes their families, but also represents a danger for everyone defending human rights in the country.
“Seeds that Bloom” is not only an artist exhibit, but is also a manifestation of resistance and memory. Through art and dialogue, it seeks to raise awareness and mobilize society to demand truth and justice.
We convene the media, organizations, and general society to share this message so that impunity does not become a social cancer that continues to destroy our society.
