My Rantings and Other Non-Sensical Thoughts

The situation in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico outrages me! If you don't know the story, in the last 10 years approximately 370 women have been murdered of which at least 137 were sexually assaulted prior to death. Many of the women were abducted, held captive for several days and sujected to humiliation, torture & the most horrific sexual violence before dying, mostly as a result of asphyxiation caused by strangulation or from being beaten. Their bodies have been found days or even years later hidden among rubble or abandoned in deserted areas near the city.

Several of the missing or murdered women were employed in maquilas. Waitresses, students or women working in the informal economy have also been targeted. In short, young women with no power in society, whose deaths have no political cost for the local authorities. In fact, in the first few years after the abductions & murders began, the authorities displayed open discrimination towards the women & their families in their public statements. On more than one occasion the women themselves were blamed for their own abduction or murder because of the way they dressed or because they worked in bars at night. In Feb. 1999 the former State Public Prosecutor, Arturo Gonzalez RascUn, still maintained "Women with a nightlife who go out very late and come into contact with drinkers are at risk. It's hard to go out on the street when it's raining and not get wet." Read more about this horrific, ridiculous, outragieous situation HERE.

Demand Justice for the more than 370 women killed or "disappeared" in Cuidad Juarez Mexico HERE.

posted by Chris O. @ 5/06/2004 03:29:00 PM