Portrait of Libertinos

Residents of Colonia Libertad.

This neighborhood, the one in which I grew up and lived most of my life is one of Tijuana oldest and one of the few urban settlements delimited by militarized surveillance and walls.

It has historically been a place of illegal entry into the U.S and perceived as home to drugs and people smugglers.

The L.A. times wrote: “Colonia Libertad is a neighborhood–a self-contained city, really–whose evolution vividly underscores the forces of Mexican migration and reflects the long history of Mexican labor in the United States.”

“Refuge for Exiles

But, many migrants have elected to settle in La Libertad; others return here after working for a time in the United States. The community has served as a refuge for Mexico’s exiles from both south and north. The neighborhood’s location, in the hills just east of downtown, provides residents a dual benefit: the peace of mind and inexpensiveness of life in Mexico, and quick access to jobs, goods and services in the United States.”