The Story Behind Abrazo Mutuo: Transforming the Border Wall Through Public Art
Public art has the power to transform the way we experience a place. It can inspire conversation, preserve culture, and invite people to see familiar landscapes through a new lens. In 2025, Friends of International Friendship Park partnered with artist Alfredo “Libre” Gutiérrez and community collaborators to create Abrazo Mutuo (“Mutual Hug”), a striking 60-meter […]
Opinión: Reimaginemos las posibilidades de nuestra frontera compartida
Los residentes de San Diego continúan sufriendo por la inacción federal ante los flujos de aguas residuales transfronterizos sin precedentes que están devastando el acceso público a las playas de Imperial Beach y Coronado, y amenazan la salud de las comunidades del South Bay de San Diego. Pero hay más en juego. Durante años, la […]
KPBS: Activists and Museum of Us come together to save historic border wall murals
When the Friends of Friendship Park saw the old border wall being dismantled in 2023, they feared that the murals on the Mexican side would be lost forever. John Fanestil reached out to Micah Parson, CEO of the Museum of Us, to ask if the museum would try to obtain the murals before they were […]
SD Union Tribune opinion: I just lobbied Joe Biden to save Friendship Park. If only he’d listen.
On Tuesday, I was part of a five-member delegation met with high-ranking administration officials in Washington. We cautioned them that if President Biden allows this construction project to be completed, he will be responsible for turning Friendship Park into a symbol of U.S. disregard for border communities and the people of Mexico. Read opinion by […]
San Diego UT Editorial: Friendship Park Deserves More From Biden
Biden appears to still be trying to please everyone when it comes to his administration’s handling of plans inherited from Trump to build a new 30-foot border wall in Friendship Park — ruining a time-honored gathering spot for divided families, friends and others. Read UT editorial here.
Victory Won in the Struggle to Defend Historic Friendship Park
On Aug. 4, activists won a victory in the ongoing fight to defend Friendship Park on the California-Mexico border. After outrage and protests by local activists and concerned community members, U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Chris Magnus ordered a halt to the construction of the double border wall that would effectively close the park. […]
The Guardian: Border wall that threatened historic Friendship park halted
The Biden administration has agreed to pause plans for a double border wall that critics say would effectively destroy a 51-year-old oceanfront park that symbolizes friendship between the United States and Mexico. Chris Magnus, the US Customs and Border Protection commissioner, said he wanted to hear community concerns before settling on a wall design for […]
Union Tribune/John Fanestil: Let’s not give up on Friendship Park
The Friends of Friendship Park invite people of good will to join us in not yet giving up the fight. We will meet this Thursday with decision-makers from the U.S. Border Patrol. We ask members of the community to gather at sunset the night before for a silent vigil outside Border Patrol headquarters in Chula […]
Lanzan proyecto para renovar parque binacional en la frontera San Diego-Tijuana
Una coalición de organizaciones que desde hace una década ha luchado por restaurar el Parque de la Amistad en la frontera entre California y México lanzó este martes la campaña Construyan ese Parque, que busca motivar a funcionarios para que sean ellos quienes den nueva vida a ese espacio. Read full article at San Diego […]