 The Edward M. Brecker was a freelance writer and science journalist who in the 1970s published a book called Lisset and Illicit Drugs, which busted many of the myths surrounding drug policy at the time. In 1988, he was awarded the first Linda Smith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship. And with the Edward M. Brecker Award for Achievement in the Field of Media, we honor those in the media who have produced the highest quality of journalistic coverage of drug policy and other drug issues. But I want to say that this award to me is particularly touching tonight because I've seen how many journalists have paid the ultimate price for telling the truth and the person we're honoring tonight, Javier Valdez, did so recently. So to present this year's Brecker Award for Achievement in the Field of Media, please welcome DPA Policy Manager Armando Gulino. Thank you all. And I do want to say that it is a great honor for me to be presenting this award because I haven't worked in the field of journalism. I, too, know and understand what the challenge that Maria referenced. And by the way, I think I am the only one that actually did script my comments. So thank you. Javier Valdez Cardenas from Culiacan Sinaloa, Mexico, dedicated his entire adult life to a career of intrepid journalism reporting on a war that has silence in 100 journalists over the last 17 years. On May 15 of this year, Javier became one of those voices. A prolific reporter, writer, Javier authored several books on drug trafficking developing a broader insight into the drug war with topics and titles that include Miss Narco, which chronicles the lives of the girlfriends and wives of drug lords, and the kids of the drug trade, children and teenagers in Mexican drug trafficking. In 2003, Javier and other reporters co-founded Dreadose, a weekly dedicated to crime and corruption in Sinaloa, considered one of Mexico's most violent states. In 2011, Javier was awarded the International Press Freedom Award of the Committee to Protect Journalists. In his acceptance speech, he called the violence a tragedy that should shame us. Later that year, the trustees of Columbia University awarded Dreadose and Maria, the Maria Morse Cabot Prize for Journalism that contributes to inter-American understanding. Javier was often referred to as courageous, determined, an essential component to fighting the war on drugs and invaluable asset to free speech and journalism. He was also called a son, a husband, a father, a friend, and a colleague. Tonight, we, the Drug Policy Alliance and the global community that is Reformed 2017, recognize that so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of free speech and journalism and present the Edward M. Brecker Award for Achievement in the Field of Media posthumously to Javier Valdez, Cardenas. Accepting the award for Javier, his founder and director of Dreadose, Ismael Bojorkis Perea. Gracias. Buenas, buenas noches a todos. Ustedes sabrán como estamos de como vidos por lo que pasó, pero también por este reconocimiento a Javier, que debía estar aquí no yo. Excuse me. You must know how touched we are by what happened to Javier, but also by this award presented today. Tal vez ustedes no lo van a creer, pero bueno, Río se tiene 15 años apenas, es un periodo y como joven. Y cuando cumplimos cinco años decidimos hacer un evento de aniversario y festejarlo en grande. Well, many of, some of you might know, but Río Dose turned 15 years, a few, a little bit ago. And when it turned five years, we did a big party. Y entonces decidimos realizar en la ciudad de Culiacán en Sinaloa. So we decided to go to the city of Culiacán in Sinaloa. Una ciudad y un estado al que nosotros llamamos la cuna del narcotráfico en México. A city and a state we call the basket net of drug trafficking in Mexico. Y decidimos realizar un foro que se llamó recuerdo más o menos foro internacional por la despenalización de las drogas ilícitas. Yo creo que algo les dice a todos ustedes esto. And we decided to organize a conference that was called International Conference for the Decriminalization of Illicit Drugs. I think this says something to all of you. Este foro invitamos a analistas de México, de Argentina, Francisco Tomi, un compañero americo-colombiano. Y a un gran amigo de ustedes, tal vez lo conozcan, yo creo, Aita Nadelman y desde entonces amigo nuestro también. And so we decided to invite people from Mexico, from Argentina, Francisco Tomi, americo-colombian. And we decided to invite someone who you all know who is a dear friend of you, and now since then a dear friend of ours, Aita Nadelman. Estamos preocupados por la política de México contra las drogas en muchas circunstancias muy distintas, pero también muy semejante a la que aplica o estaba aplicando el gobierno de Norteamérica. Y queríamos que Aita, en el caso de Aita, nos transmitiera sus experiencias. We were very worried about the situation of drug policy in Mexico, we were aware of the situation in the United States, and we wanted Ethan to share his experiences with us. Estoy seguro que en los Estados Unidos el trabajo de todos ustedes ha estado rendiendo frutos. Yo veo avances, ustedes también seguramente, sobre todo en los últimos 8 o 10 años. I'm sure that the work here in the U.S. has been having many achievements. I see many achievements and I'm sure that you do too, especially in the last 10 years. Y aunque en México han estado corriendo cosas interesantes en el sentido de la despedalización, todo indica que vamos todavía a paso de tortura. And even though in Mexico some interesting things have happened regarding decriminalización, everything indicates that we're going at a turtle's pace. ¿Por qué nos preocupaba en ese entonces la política antidrogas de nuestro país? En primer lugar, por la gran violencia que genera. En el sexenio pasado murieron en la guerra contra las drogas o en la guerra de los cárteles, entre los cárteles, más de 120 mil personas. Why were we worried about the situation of drug policy in Mexico? Well, first of all because in the last 10 years, more than 100, in the last, sorry, administration, more than 100,000 people have died in the violence of the war on drugs and the violence between cartels. Y en el actual sexenio no es distinto, que dirige Enrique Peña Nieto. Él está cumpliendo cinco años de gobierno y ya acumula casi 100 mil víctimas de la violencia. And in this new administration it's the same thing, in Peña Nieto's administration in the five years that he has been in office we've arrived at almost 100,000 people dead already. Pero hay un drama adicional y este es que en los últimos diez años no solamente el narcotráfico, sino también mucha gente involucrada con el gobierno ha asesinado por lo menos a 100 periodistas. But there is new drama that has been added. In the last 10 years not only organized crime or drug trafficking, but also people related to the government have murdered over 100 journalists. Y este es un drama adicional que vive México producto de esta guerra de las drogas porque cuando se mata un periodista todas las muertes son importantes, todas las muertes son lamentables, pero cuando se mata un periodista se mata parte de la sociedad. And this additional drama is very serious because even though all deaths are important when you kill a journalist you kill fundamental rights of all society. Y otro gran drama que vivimos en el país es que y se van a no sé si conozcan el dato, pero tal vez se sorprendan el 97.9% de las agresiones a periodistas no se castigan. And another amazing part of this is that you might be shocked by this number, but that over 97% of cases of attacks on journalists go unpunished. Y este desgraciadamente está haciendo el caso también de nuestro compañero Javier Valdés. And unfortunately this is all the case in the case of our friend Javier Valdés. Mañana se van a cumplir cinco meses, cinco meses de que lo asesinaron y hasta ahora no tenemos absolutamente ninguna información que no permita pensar que el crimen de Javier va a ser castigado. Tomorrow it's the five month anniversary since he was murdered and there is nothing to indicate that the crime that ended his life will go punished, will be punished. Por eso valoramos, por eso consideramos que es muy importante este reconocimiento que le están entregando ahora porque para nosotros es una llamada de atención al gobierno mexicano. De alguna forma decirle al gobierno mexicano, los periodistas en México no están solos, en los Estados Unidos los periodistas tienen amigos y es una forma de decir también que ustedes están exigiendo justicia, el clarecimiento del crimen de Javier y justicia, en este caso castigo a los asesinos. And that's why this award is especially relevant today because this is a wake up call for the Mexican government that the journalists in Mexico have friends in the United States, that journalists in Mexico are not alone and that you are joining us in demanding for justice and punishment of those responsible. Quiero felicitarlos en nombre del periódico Río 12 que ayudó a fundar Javier Valdés y quiero decirles que si los asesinos hayan provenido del narcotráfico o hayan provenido de alguna esfera del gobierno, piensan que Río 12 o el periodismo mexicano se va a callar por esto, usted ha equivocado. I want to congratulate you in the name of our newspaper Río 12 and I want to let you know that if those who killed Javier, if they are from a drug trafficking organization or from the government think that Río 12 is going to fall, they are wrong. Y agradecerles la invitación a Jana por habernos traído aquí, a María por el reconocimiento a Itan por tu amistad y tu inspiración Itan, muchas gracias. Gracias a todos. Buenas noches. I want to thank Hannah, Ethan and María. Good night.