In an in-depth interview with The Epoch Times, actor Eduardo Verástegui unveiled the ongoing saga of his crusade against child trafficking and his battle against the titans of Hollywood.
Mr. Verástegui burst onto the scene with the success of “Sound of Freedom,” last summer’s box office hit starring Jim Caveziel and Oscar winner Mira Sorvino. He said the film’s mission was to raise awareness of child trafficking and abuse.
“Hollywood didn’t want to make this movie,” Mr. Verástegui told The Epoch Times, speaking about going up against big movie studios, or what he calls the “Hollywood machine.”
“It’s been almost 20 years of this dream of making movies that matter,” he said, reflecting on the long process of getting his movie seen in theaters. Speaking on the widespread reception and success of the film, he said, “Hollywood was not interested in the movie, but you know who was interested? The people.”
The movie was released on July 4, 2023, outperforming “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” and “The Flash” at the box office with a domestic gross of over $250 million.
“It’s very hard when you are an independent filmmaker and you are against the establishment, and the studio system,” he said.
Looking back to his first film, “Bella,” a pro-life film that made the rounds on the festival circuit, he recounted that the movie was not successful in the way that “Sound of Freedom” was, but nonetheless “changed the lives of so many people.” His second film, “Little Boy,” also failed to capture widespread public attention.
“And then came ‘Sound of Freedom.’”
Mr. Verástegui had been campaigning against child trafficking in Mexico for two years before the release of “Sound of Freedom.”
“One movie is not enough,” he said, speaking about future projects on child trafficking and urging people to make films, documentaries, television shows, and write books on it. “What is the legacy? I want to make sure we change legislation. We are raising awareness with the people who can make a difference in our government.”
Mr. Verástegui screened “Sound of Freedom” on Capitol Hill alongside then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.). During his visit to Washington, Mr. Verástegui, along with Mr. Smith, introduced a draft legislation aimed at combatting sex trafficking. If approved, the proposed legislation would mandate that the FBI and several federal agencies provide regular reports on the status of missing children and “to find these 85 thousand children who crossed the border in 2021-2022.” He claims the children were “given away without the protocol of taking care of them, the DNA or fingerprinting.”
Turning his thoughts to the current situation at the U.S. southern border and human trafficking, he noted, “I was there three days ago.” He urged people to pay attention to what he called a humanitarian crisis.
Although the imagery in “Sound of Freedom” is vivid and shocking, he says it is still nothing compared to what he witnessed, and that the reality is still far worse. “We turned the volume down,” he said, making the movie easier for moviegoers to take, with them relying more on their imagination, but still invoking a guttural reaction.
Meantime, Mr. Verástegui’s latest film, “Cabrini,” explores the life of Francesca Cabrini, the first American saint, who fought against bigotry and misogyny and worked to house and feed the poor and underprivileged.
The film is set for wide release on March 8, International Women’s Day. “She represents all of the women that are in power because of God,” he says reflecting the legacy of Mother Cabrini.
“It’s an homage to our mothers and our sisters and to women in general.” Crediting the success of the “Sound of Freedom” he notes that his hope for the film is to wake up a new generation of women who are empowered by God.
In September 2023, Verástegui announced his intention to run independently in the Mexico presidential race and duly registered with Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE), the overseeing body for elections. However, by the Jan. 6 deadline, he had managed to secure less than 15 percent of the necessary 961,405 signatures, equivalent to 1 percent of the voter registry.
He says the government has done everything to block an “outsider” like him. “They know where I’m coming from. My goal is to end child trafficking.” Mr. Verástegui accused the INE of mishandling the signature collection process, citing faults in the application used for gathering signatures. He also sought, unsuccessfully, an extension to collect signatures in Guerrero following the aftermath of Hurricane Otis in October, which severely impacted infrastructure in Acapulco, leaving the region without basic amenities for weeks.
Despite Mr. Verástegui’s claims of tireless dedication to representing the nation’s voices and needs, his campaign drew comparisons to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who contested the results of the 2006 presidential election. López Obrador’s claims of fraud were rejected by the electoral commission, although he later won the presidency in 2018.
“We have a narco government.” In a further explanation, he claimed the problems in Mexico are because of bad politicians and administrators and “corruption.”
Mr. Verástegui’s aspirations to run on a platform opposing abortion, supporting pro-family policies, and opposing certain U.N. development goals attracted attention, particularly following Mexico’s Supreme Court’s decision to decriminalize abortion in September 2023.
He says he hopes for an investigation, stating his intention to take the case to court. “I’m not gonna be quiet.”
