February 6th 2012 – In Ciudad Juarez, the violence is a constant, human suffering a given, and trying to understand why the city has so many problems depends on who you ask. The people who live there are justifiably weary of the violence and the near-blanket impunity enjoyed by those who perpetrate it.

But then, sometimes you meet people that offer a glimmer of hope — like a group of young “angels” who since 2010, get together on weekends and sometimes during the week to stand at crime scenes and street corners, asking murderers to repent. Is it having an impact?

Violence over the past year has declined. Local Juarez newspaper El Diario reports that murders in January in 2012 were half what they were in 2011. Perhaps it’s just a momentarily lull, but the angels and their persistent determination suggest that Ciudad Juarez could emerge as something more than just a city of victims.

This video was shot, produced and edited by Deborah Bonello and published by Univision. You can see it here on their website if you live within the US.

November 30 2011 – Miss Bala, a Mexican movie that is a current Oscar hopeful and inspired by true events, follows beauty queen Laura Guerrero in her violent downward spiral into the hands of organized crime. Filmed, produced and edited for AFP by Deborah Bonello.

This report was produced for Time Magazine by Deborah Bonello.

Watch the video on Time’s website here.

Camera Assistant was Myles Estey - you can see his website here.

You can read the report by Human Rights Watch on their website here.

Photo: Laura Garcia and her family outside the club from where her brother Francis disappeared on March 1st 2010. The family believe Francis was taken by the Mexican military. Credit: Myles Estey.

November 2 2011 – Day of the Dead in Mexico is usually a time for celebrating and remembering lost loved ones. But in the context of a brutal drug war that has cost 40,000 lives, the commemoration of the dead has taken on a more sombre tone this year.

Below, other video edits from the Day of the Dead celebrations around Mexico City this year.

Anonymity in Mexico is the only form of defence in the increasingly violent conflict involving the country’s drug cartels, government, media and public. It provides defence from reprisals, but also hands impunity to those acting with no identity, creating a vicious cycle of ambiguous, unreliable information and fear. And it is pursued by many of the actors in the drug war, mostly via the use of digital social networks – the newest front for the conflict.

You can read the full article here on the Guardian Comment is Free website.

October 25 2011 – A dispatch for Time from a recent trip to Veracruz:

In touristy Veracruz, Mexico, drug-related violence has spiked. After a recent wave of 80 killings, the federal government sent troops to patrol the city. But many still don’t feel safe

See the video here on Time.com

Journalism in Mexico is under fire. As drug-related violence grows, so does the danger for reporters trying to cover it, often forcing them to flee, bow to outside influences or face the consequences. In the city of Veracruz, journalists are feeling the heat, and locals in search of reliable news sources are now turning to social networks for information, but that too has its risks.

You can also see it here on AFP’s YouTube channel.

October 18 2011 – A short video documentary by me for Univision on peace activist and poet Javier Sicilia and his potential to create real change here in Mexico. Watch the video here on Univision’s Tumbler.