The traveling exhibition “Destination: Freedom. The Human Trafficking Route,” which has drawn more than one million visitors in previous editions, was inaugurated this Tuesday at the Tijuana International Airport.
The event brought together representatives from Aeroméxico, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Pacific Airport Group (GAP), Baja California’s Department of Tourism, and airport officials.
Before arriving in Tijuana, the exhibit was displayed at Mexico City’s Museum of Memory and Tolerance and at the Benito Juárez and Cancún International Airports.
Open to the public from November 11, 2024, through February 13, 2026, the exhibition explores the different stages of human trafficking — from recruitment to exploitation. Through educational materials, awareness tools, and community networks, it aims to empower both travelers and airport workers, emphasizing that local action is key to stopping impunity and protecting victims in contexts of mobility.
“I’m very proud to inaugurate this exhibition in such an important destination for us,” said Cuitláhuac Gutiérrez, Aeroméxico’s Senior Vice President for Government and Industry Affairs. “Bringing this kind of information to a major airport is crucial to identifying and preventing potential cases.”
Due to its border location, Tijuana has become a key point along human trafficking routes, serving as a place of origin, transit, and destination within the broader regional migration context.
Background: “Destination: Freedom — The Human Trafficking Route”
Karen Farías Cruzado, Director of Sustainability at Aeroméxico, spoke with San Diego Red about the airline’s long-term social commitment and the origins of the initiative. She explained that combating human trafficking has been a central part of Aeroméxico’s sustainability strategy and one of its most significant social-impact projects.
Since 2016, the airline has implemented measures to help identify and prevent human trafficking, recognizing the shared responsibility of the transportation sector. Farías noted that, since one of the most critical phases of trafficking involves transportation, Aeroméxico’s role in raising awareness is particularly vital.
Shortly before 2024, Aeroméxico, in collaboration with the UNODC, launched an informational card offering tips for passengers to recognize potential signs of trafficking during flights. That initiative ultimately inspired the traveling exhibition — designed to bring this issue beyond the company’s internal programs and into the public sphere.
“There are many organizations and hotlines that people can reach out to if they’re experiencing or suspect a trafficking situation,” Farías added. “The message is that anyone can be vulnerable — we need to talk about it and make it visible.”
