On the occasion of the 39th Fira Internacional del Llibre de Guadalajara (FIL), where Barcelona is the guest of honour, the City Council and the Taula per Mèxic association have published the book Seguir contándolo, written by Majo Siscar and Sandra Vicente, with a prologue by Cristina Rivera and illustrations by Pedro Strukelj. The book will be presented in a ceremony at the Biblioteca García Márquez during the afternoon of 30 October.

“Barcelona protects Mexican journalists” is a municipal programme designed and managed by the Taula per Mèxic association, under the auspices of Barcelona City Council, with the aim of facilitating temporary stays in Barcelona for journalists threatened for exercising their profession, and for their work denouncing human rights violations.

The Deputy Mayor Maria Eugènia Gay defended press freedom as a cornerstone for rule of law. “There can be no democracy without journalism that questions, scrutinises and highlights”, she said.  She added: “The responsibility and integrity of institutions is measured by their capacity to guarantee the right to information”. Because of this, she noted: “Barcelona will continue to protect, shelter and support those who keep the flame of press freedom alight, and it does so with the conviction that defending words is defending life”.

The book includes accounts from some of the 32 threatened professionals taken in by the programme since it was launched in 2018, such as the journalist Pedro Matías, who was kidnapped in 2008 for covering the socio-political conflict in Oaxaca between 2006 and 2007. Matía pointed out yesterday that 174 communicators have been murdered in Mexico since the year 2000, and thanked the time-out programme organised by Barcelona City Council which helped him regain his spirit.

“If journalists have no voice, if they can’t explain the conflict and they are victims of violence, human rights are in danger”, remarked Sandra Vicente.

Comprehensive accompaniment and psycho-social support

In addition to the shelter and time out that the city offers them, over the years the City Council has taken responsibility for processing temporary residency permits for the various beneficiaries, and during their stay has provided them with comprehensive accompaniment: accommodation, upkeep, psycho-social and sanitary support and a training and impact agenda. The subsidy from Barcelona City Council in 2025 for the programme “Barcelona protects Mexican journalists” is 130,000 euros, to contribute to their overheads.

There are currently six journalists on the programme.