Alberto Lati
About Alberto
Mexican journalist, writer and sports commentator Alberto Lati has worked with UNHCR since 2015, year after year showing strong commitment to the refugee cause. For his first project Alberto travelled with UNHCR to the Mexican border city of Tapachula, where he had the opportunity to observe the Suchiate River, a site of crossing for hundreds of Central American refugees fleeing gang violence and organized crime every day.
Alberto has used his talents to help amplify many important moments for refugees. During the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he helped spotlight the first ever Olympic Refugee Team through interviews with two of its members: Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini and South Sudanese track and field athlete Yiech Pur Biel. Alberto also interviewed the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, during a visit to Mexico in 2017, and helped to promote solidarity with refugees via his coverage of the 2018 World Cup.
Various UNHCR campaigns have benefitted from Alberto's involvement. In 2017, he recorded a video for “Children on the Run”, asking the public to help the children, adolescents and families who have been forced to flee their homes in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala due to gang violence. For our #WithRefugees campaign, Alberto was featured in an advocacy film alongside fellow high profile supporters, refugees and UNHCR field staff, encouraging the public to sign a petition expressing solidarity with millions of people across the world driven from their homes by conflict and persecution.
As a curious coincidence, Alberto was born on June 20, World Refugee Day: the moment the world comes together to commemorate the strength, courage, and perseverance of millions of refugees globally.