DOCUMENTARY: And Yet We Exist // Pero Sí Existimos
And Yet We Exist tells a powerful story of resistance against corporate exploitation and environmental harm. Join us for an online special screening, followed by a live panel discussion with the filmmakers, affected communities and experts.
And Yet We Exist shows the struggle of the communities of Torres de la Paz against the U.S. company Vulcan, which, in its arbitration claim for more than US$1.5 billion against Mexico, denies the very existence of affected communities in the region.
The documentary exposes the reality of investor-state panels, where transnational corporations can demand multimillion-dollar compensation from countries for expected but unrealized profits. These unilateral and opaque mechanisms are often established to prevent the implementation of public policies aimed at protecting the environment, especially in the Global South.
Through direct testimonies, the film offers an intimate look at the environmental damage, human rights violations, and attacks on Mexican sovereignty perpetrated by the largest asphalt company in the United States.
And Yet We Exist shows us that the Torres de la Paz communities’ assertion of their existence is not trivial, but rather an expression of their resistance. The documentary brings to light voices that these arbitration panels do not want to hear, demonstrating the power that affected communities can have when they organize and fight for their rights.
On June 26, the Transnational Institute together with the Institute for Policy Studies held an important online film premiere and live discussion, featuring speakers including:
- Romain Champalaune, Filmmaker
- Quetzal Tzab González, Mayan Indigenous Lawyer
- Teresa Gutiérrez Haces, researcher, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM)
- Aracely Domínguez Rodríguez, president of Ecologist Group of Mayab (Gema)
- Raul Benet, expert in environmental policy in Mexico
Lucía Bárcena, Transnational Institute, and Manuel Pérez Rocha, Institute for Policy Studies, served as moderators.
Watch a full video of the premier screening and discussion here.
