MV Note: At noon on Monday, May 15, in the center of Culiacán. the capital of the state of Sinaloa, Javier Valdez Cárdenas, a correspondent for La Jornada and co-founder of the local weekly newspaper Ríodoce, was assassinated. Two armed men pulled him from his vehicle and shot him several times. He was the author of several books on the drug war and its consequences for ordinary people. Valdez Cárdenas was the recipient of the 2011 International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists. See CPJ's eulogy.CNN Expansion | Facebook: Francisco Javier Valdez Triana
FATHER, WHERE ARE YOU? I look for you everywhere, in every space, in every object you touched. I look for you in my dreams, but I do not see you. I do not see your face, your big body, already worn, already half a century old. For half a century you fought for many, gave what you had, gave the most human of yourself to us, your children and my beautiful mother.
Now, who will enlighten me, who will give me books in piles, who will embrace me as you did, who will applaud me in my achievements, who will give me love so warm?
You have left me without your love, without the half of my heart. You stole my heart, you won my love, I gave you the best of me: my love. I can feel you, in every step, in every verse I read, in every poem you wrote and I wrote.
I keep your music, your movies, your books, your glasses, your inkless pens, your hugs, your kisses, your smiles, I know you in the deepest way. Now, I hold you in my arms, and I hug you and I cuddle you as you did it when I was a baby. Now it's my turn, now I walk with you, we have a beer, we sing together.
I will go to see the sunrise more often, I will go to observe the ducks in their season, I will go to the places that you frequented, I will hug every person who remembers you, because it will be like embracing your love in others, it will be like embracing you , And feeling you again.
You are the person that motivated me most. Maybe we are very different, but you are the best example I have in my life, because you always did what you wanted, you achieved what many wanted, you revealed yourself, you cried, sang, danced, smiled n the very dark moments of your life.
Now you are at peace, and that is what I want for you. I will not hesitate to speak to my children about you, I will tell them how brave and fantastic you were, I will emulate all your love with them. As for me, it will be the way to keep you alive, to keep you with me and with everyone.
Already dead, I said in your ear that we will never forget you, and that's how it's going to be, papa. I'll raise your arm at every step of progress, I'll greet others as you did, because I am you. Every time justice is done, it is going to be in your name, too.
It's just a little of what I want to tell you, and when you get back, you'll have your house, your chair, your coffee, and all our love from all of us who love you.
LET'S NOT LEAVE MY FATHER ALONE, HE NEEDS THE HELP OF EVERYONE, THAT IS ALL THAT I ASK OF YOU.
Original Spanish CNN article Facebook: Francisco Javier Valdez Triana