Amid the border and migration context facing Tijuana, activists commemorated the 55th anniversary of Friendship Park (*Parque Internacional de la Amistad*)—located in Playas de Tijuana—with a gathering of people from both sides of the border and cultural activities.
During this binational gathering on August 15, various organizations recalled the park’s founding in 1971 and the era when the space served as a meeting point for families from Mexico and the United States—before the reinforcement of security measures and the border structures that currently divide the two territories.
This was highlighted by Daniel Watman, program director for the Friendship Park organization, who noted that the event’s goal is to reclaim the border space as a meeting point and promote a reality free of divisions between the park sections located in Mexico and the United States.
“People came from both sides of the border to emphasize that this is a place of friendship and peace between the two nations. Now, after 55 years, we have these massive walls, but we still have one side of the park open; we want to show what a park should be—an offering and an invitation to the other side to join in friendship,” he explained.
Watman detailed that, in the years prior to the 2020 pandemic, the park served as a meeting place for binational families, as the U.S. government cooperated by opening the border gates—a situation that has not been restored since.
He pointed out that, due to policies adopted by recent U.S. administrations, the border has become a sealed-off, inaccessible space preventing hundreds of families from reuniting, despite the organization’s attempts to engage with the federal government.
