Film

Diego Luna’s ‘El Día Después’ Encourages Mexicans to Fight Racism, Classism and Corruption Post-Election

Lead Photo: Diego Luna attends the International Jury press conference during the 67th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Diego Luna attends the International Jury press conference during the 67th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin. Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
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Launched by Diego Luna and supported by other noteworthy Mexican citizens worried about their country’s future, El Día Después (The Day After) is a nonpartisan initiative that encourages the population to act peacefully regardless of the presidential election results and lays out a plan of action to be an engaged citizen long after voting.

Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón, Gael García Bernal, Guillermo del Toro, Emmanuel Lubezki, Julieta Venegas, Lila Downs, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Natalia Lafourcade, are part of the core group that’s behind this movement to combat division and to ensure nobody loses sight of the common goal: a safer, more tolerant, and less unjust country for everyone.

Their main collective concerns are presented in a manifesto consisting of 12 pledges that call for the eradication of racism and classism, the need to be critical of those in power, poverty as a form of violence that needs to be confronted, the importance of listening and respecting indigenous people, solidarity towards compatriots who live as undocumented immigrants abroad, gender equality, and protecting every person’s right to freely express their gender identity and sexual orientation, and others that tackle significant issues.

The El Día Después’ site includes a series of videos in which the entertainment personalities speak of the principles they believe should be the roadmap for Mexico’s next president – in this case Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Acknowledging that no change can occur without every Mexican joining in the effort, they also ask anyone who agrees with their vision to sign their mission statement. Over 58, 000 people have joined the cause online.

A 12-minute video titled Opinión Ciudadana is also part of their materials and shows everyday Mexicans discussing what the aftermath of the campaign should ideally look like and the personal responsibility of each individual to remain vigilant and politically active beyond casting their vote.