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Mexico: Art Exhibition Warmly Received in San Pedro Cholula and Zacatelco

Oct. 30, 2022 |   By a Falun Dafa practitioner in Mexico

(Minghui.org) The Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance) International Exhibition recently took place this October in two Mexican cities: San Pedro Cholula and Zacatelco. Local officials and visitors had high praise for the exhibitions, remarking that the artworks are much needed in today’s society. 

Attendees view the artworks in The Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance) International Exhibition in Mexico. 

San Pedro Cholula

At the opening ceremony on October 7, officials from both the city of San Pedro Cholula and the state of Puebla thanked Falun Dafa practitioners for bringing them these great artworks and the information about the persecution in China. 

Refugio Gallegos, Cultural Affairs Bureau director at Cholula, said the artworks are very touching. 

“The suppression against Falun Dafa depicted in the artworks is shocking,” said Refugio Gallegos, director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau at Cholula. She that hoped more people could learn what is going on in China. In addition, she believed that such an exhibition is very important for society. “Peace and moral values are what our society is lacking. We need more of these values, especially young people and children,” she said. She encouraged practitioners to continue their efforts to expose the persecution. 

Sandra Budar, director of economy and tourism in Cholula. 

Sandra Budar, director of economy and tourism in Cholula, visited the exhibition and said it showed the importance of freedom. “More importantly, we can become better citizens and help those innocent people who are suffering,” she added. She also pointed out that, “The values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are critical for our daily life and they need to be passed on to the future generations.” 

Luis Armando Olvera, mayor of Mitla in the state of Oaxaca

Luis Armando Olvera is mayor of Mitla in the state of Oaxaca. As one of the guests invited to the opening ceremony, he viewed the artworks and accepted materials about Falun Dafa. “Even though we live in this material world, in our heart we still want to be better citizens,” he said. 

“I like this exhibition a lot,” said retired German banknote designer Manfred. “The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wants to deprive everyone of culture, including Falun Dafa practitioners who are detained in labor camps.” He explained that in Germany he had seen practitioners peacefully protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy and heard about the CCP’s forced organ harvesting which targets practitioners. 

Visitors said they enjoyed the exhibition very much. 

Ignacio García, a retired Mexican admiral, said the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance apply to everyone and they are universal values. 

Artist José Luis Montes, a painter, said he was fortunate to attend the event where he learned about the terror caused by the CCP. “There are no other places in this world that have this kind of cruelty. It is inhumane. I will highly recommend this exhibition to others,” he said. 

Zacatelco

Twenty-five miles northeast of Cholula is Zacatelco, one of the highest cities in Mexico with an altitude of over 2,200 meters. Several officials attended the opening ceremony and commended the event. 

Iris Bringas thanked Falun Dafa practitioners on behalf of the Mexican Vice Minister of Culture. 

Iris Bringas came on behalf of the Mexican Vice Minister of Culture. “These pictures show mankind’s connection with the divine along with courage from those who are mistreated for their faith,” she said. “No persecution is justified, since we should all enjoy the freedom of belief,” she explained, adding she is opposed to any form of suppression. 

Ms. Bringas said the exhibition is very impressive because it shows people beauty and pain as well as Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She was glad to see that many people responded so positively to the artworks. 

Architect David Diaz Orea

David Diaz Orea, an architect, said that he found the exhibition to be very moving. “From these artworks, we can see their sorrow, kindness, and inner world – which is amazing,” he said. 

Cándido Portillo, director of the Zacatelco Cultural Center 

Zacatelco is an important city in the state of Tlaxcala as well as nearby states, explained the city’s cultural center director Cándido Portillo. “From the exhibition, one can tell the terror caused by the CCP, an extreme group that does not give people freedom.” He also thanked practitioners for promoting the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. 

Painter and sculptor Martin Rojas considered the exhibition very important for both artists and younger generations.

“I am happy to see these artworks because they bring me a peaceful and calm mind,” said Efraín Ocotzi, secretary of the Tlaxcala Cultural Center. “I hope the exhibition will continue and that more people learn about the persecution so that the brutality will stop.”

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and have learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology and on July 20, 1999, he issued an order to eradicate the practice.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years, though due to the difficulty in getting information out of China, the actual number is believed to be much higher. Countless practitioners have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply China’s organ transplant industry.