Televisa SA de CV responded through its legal Representative, Angel Israel Crespo Rueda, that the company is not at all racist. The company claimed to have provided sane entertainment to the public, adding that people “should be grateful that the enterprise invested a lot of money to produce stories and Television programs in South Africa”.
Velazquez noted Televisa is the widest communication network not only in Mexico but in Latin America and Spain. As such “Televisa SA de CV missed a great opportunity to present a real approach about the African continent and its peoples, to show the public how rich and diverse are African cultures”, Velázquez told NYIHA MEDIA. CONAPRED has been sensitive and supportive of the issue that Maria Elena Velázquez has put on the map. Mexican people are unaware of the important legacy of Africa in past centuries and that afro descendants helped to enrich Mexican society: culturally, ethnically, socially and economically. On the occasion of the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence, Velázquez is implementing a major research on Afro-descendants populations in Mexico. Mexican history denies any African heritage. Ms. Velazquez adds: “we portray ourselves as a very tolerant and inclusive society, but that is not true.”
As part of her future projects, Maria Elisa Velazquez is preparing several activities such as exhibitions, publications and conferences on afro-descendents in Costa Chica region of Guerrero, Mexico. She noted that 2011 has been declared by UNESCO as the “Year of people of African descent.” She seeks to preserve the African legacy in Mexico, highlight the consequences of slavery and to promote African cultural elements found among the Mexican people.
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