15 de julio de 2010.

Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México.

El Plan Juárez: dejando a las mujeres solas en medio de la guerra

En este documento, el Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres (CEDEHM) refiere casos y datos que muestran  la realidad de las mujeres en Ciudad Juárez: solas, víctimas, en medio de la guerra, sin acceso a la justicia,  y sin valor para el Estado Mexicano.

• Del 1 de enero al 11 de julio del 2010,  han sido asesinadas 212 mujeres en el estado de Chihuahua[1]. El número es similar a la cifra de asesinatos de mujeres en cinco años (1993-1997). Los feminicidios y desapariciones de mujeres y niñas han aumentado significativamente y la mayoría de los casos se encuentran impunes, ante la indiferencia del Estado Mexicano
• Los abusos cometidos por militares afectan de manera diferenciada a las mujeres. Rocío Irene Alvarado Reyes y Nitza Paola Alvarado Espinoza fueron detenidas por elementos del ejército mexicano el 29 de diciembre de 2009, de manera arbitraria y sin ninguna orden judicial. La Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos otorgó medidas provisionales a favor de ambas y solicitó al estado mexicano proteger su vida. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha se desconoce su paradero,  ambas son víctimas de desaparición forzada a manos del ejército.
• El 9 de junio del año en curso 14 hombres,  seis de ellos con armas de alto poder llegaron a las instalaciones secretas de SIN VIOLENCIA A.C. Refugio para mujeres en situación de riesgo por violencia extrema, el único de esas características en el Estado de Chihuahua  y cuya dirección era un lugar seguro,  antes de ser violado por los funcionarios del poder judicial, quienes ordenaron la irrupción. A las defensoras de derechos humanos al frente del Refugio, se les amenazó con meterlas a la cárcel por tres años, uno de los policías dijo textualmente “las invito a cooperar, mostrando el arma de fuego que portaba, o  no tendré  más remedio que actuar” el estado no ha respondido para resolver el problema que ocasionó, ni ha sancionado a los responsables.
  • El 10 de julio de 2010 por la noche, una joven de 22 años fue amenazada con una pistola, le robaron su vehículo y la violaron. A pesar de tener suficientes motivos para no acudir a las instituciones de procuración de justicia en Juárez -como el riesgo real y la desconfianza fundada- la joven interpuso la denuncia ante la Ministerio Público  quien le informó a la víctima que debía regresar el lunes para ampliar su denuncia, por ser fin de semana y la reprendió por no haberse defendido de la violación. El médico legista se negó a tomarle pruebas y no le brindó ni recetó la píldora del día siguiente que podría prevenir un embarazo. El médico tiene la obligación de proveer la píldora de acuerdo con la norma oficial de salud NOM 046.  Días después y ante la presión del CEDEHM, un médico del sector salud le practicó un examen , pero se limitó a darle una receta indicándole que acudiera a un médico particular y luego regresara a entregar los resultados del resto de los exámenes que debía practicarse.
  • El 13 de julio de 2010, el Diario de Juárez publicó que “entre 20 y 30 mujeres a punto de dar a luz han dejado de atender a diario en el Hospital de la Mujer, debido a que la capacidad de atención se vio rebasada por la demanda médica de este segmento de población, que aumentó por la afiliación masiva al Seguro Popular. La situación es tal,  que las mujeres que tienen parto natural son dadas de alta a unas horas de su alumbramiento para hacer lugar a las que están en trabajo de parto”.
  • Marisela Escobedo, madre de Rubí –una chica de 16 años víctima de feminicidio que conmovió a Juárez- caminó durante días para exigir sanción al asesino de su hijo. En un inicio, los jueces lo declararon inocente y posteriormente con la representación legal del CEDEHM  se logró   una sentencia de 50 años. Ella ubicó al asesino de su hija, dio aviso a las autoridades para que lo detuvieran y pudiera cumplir la sentencia, pero “por trámites burocráticos” el gobierno fue incapaz de arrestarlo y huyó.
  • La madre y La viuda de José Luis Romero Valenzuela, un joven de 24 años, estaban inconsolables al darle  sepultura, el joven  fue asesinado el 13 de julio del 2010 por policías federales, al no detener su vehículo por miedo a los policías  que le hicieron alto en un retén.  Las mujeres se niegan a denunciar por miedo, los federales acudieron a la vivienda de la familia a amenazarlos y les exigieron 5 mil pesos para no involúcralas en “nada”,  las mujeres entregaron 3 mil pesos que habían juntado para el funeral.

El Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres es una asociación civil con sede en Chihuahua que promueve y defiende los derechos de las mujeres. Para mayor información: investigacion@cedehm.org.mx (614) 415-4152.

Dr Laura Schlesinger said that “according to the Bible, homosexuality is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22) and cannot be condoned under any circumstances.”

The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a US resident, and posted on the Internet.  It’s funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I have learned some things from your show and try to share the knowledge with as many people as I can.  When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination … end of debate!

I do need some advice from you however regarding some other elements of God’s Laws and how to understand and apply them correctly.

1.  Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and  female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations.  A friend  of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians.  Can  you clarify?  Why can’t I own Canadians?

2.  I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in  Exodus 21:7.  In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair  price for her?

3.  I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness – Lev.15: 19-24.  The problem is how do I tell?  I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4.  When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a  pleasing odor for the Lord – Lev.1:9.  The problem is my neighbors.  They claim the odor is not pleasing to them.  Should I smite them?

5.  I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath.  Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death.  Am I obligated to kill him  myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6.  A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an  abomination (Lev. 11:10).  it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’agree.  Can you settle this?  Are there degrees of abomination?

7.  Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have  a defect in my sight.  I have to admit that I wear reading glasses.  Does my vision have to be 20/20 or is there some wiggle-room here?

8.  Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair  around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27.  How should they die?

9.  I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10.  My uncle has a farm.  He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend).  He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot.  Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them?   (Lev.24:10-16)  Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I’m confident you can help.  Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your dedicated fan,

James M. Kauffman,
Ed.D. Professor Emeritus,
University  of   Virginia

P.S.  It would be a damn shame if we couldn’t own a Canadian!

“El Silencio es el Principal Enemigo de la Justicia” (Silence is the Enemy of Justice)

By Casey Gwinn

This week I was reminded of a profound truth: Silence is the enemy of justice.  Our team (Gael Strack, Brenda Lugo, and I) spent three days in Monterrey, Mexico as part of an historic kick-off conference sponsored by the Mexican federal government, USAID, Management Systems International, and the National Family Justice Center Alliance.  As we met the amazing women of Mexico’s movement to stop violence against women and girls, and the men that support them, we were sobered by the stories of rape, kidnap, abuse, and murder.  We heard of the hundreds of women killed in Ciudad Juarez in the last fifteen years.  We viewed a powerful video by the Avon Foundation about the impact of domestic violence on children.  We heard that 8 of 10 women who report violence, sexual assault, and other forms of abuse later recant their story in the face of a criminal and civil justice system that does not provide adequate support.  We heard that between 1999 and 2005, more than 6,000 women and girls were murdered in Mexico.  We heard of the recent police raids of refuges for battered women and children in Monterrey, Cancun and Ciudad Juarez in 2010.  We heard of the pain, fear, and intimidation that regularly faces victims, women’s advocates, and political leaders who attempt to speak the truth.  We heard of the shelter director who resigned after being kidnapped and threatened.  We heard of public officials assassinated for speaking out.  We heard of advocates being sued by abuser’s for representing battered women.

The power of the darkness was obvious.  Justice is so often denied to the battered and abused women of Mexico.  Justice is so often sacrificed on the altar of male privilege and entitlement and too often condoned by the Catholic Church and the social structures that shape the foundations of Mexican society.  But the silence of women, the silence of the abused, the silence of the oppressed is ending in Mexico.  Dr. Martin Luther King said in 1963, “we must repent not only for the words and deeds of the ‘bad people’ but for the appalling silence of the ‘good people’.”  The good people are repenting and are raising their voices in Mexico – led by courageous women.

As I write in the early morning hours of June 30, 2010, my heart is full of hope because we heard the voices of those courageous women of Mexico for the last two days.  Powerful voices like: Dr. Laura Carrera, the National Commissioner to Prevent  and Eradicate Violence Against Women; Martha Lucia (“Malu”) Micher, the General Director of the Institute for Women in Mexico City; Monica Maccise Duayhe, the Coordinator for Gender Equity Programs for the Mexican Supreme Court; Aixa Alvarado, the Director and Co-Founder of the Centro de Justicia Familiar of Monterrey; Luz Estela Castro; Gabriela Saavedra; Elsa Jimenez, Nora Frias; Margarita Cisneros; and many other amazing women from Nuevo Leon, Jalisco, Chihuahua, Durango, Baja California, Chiapas, Morelos, Guerrero, and Campeche.  We met amazing women serving as elected officials, community organizers, shelter directors, lawyers, advocates, and in other roles as agents of change – all of them calling for justice for women and girls.  And it was even more special to see them all working with two Latina women from our team, Gael Strack, whose heritage traces back to Cuba, Panama, and Puerto Rico, and Brenda Lugo who was born in Culiacan, Sinaloa (Mexico).

They reminded Gael, Brenda, and me of a powerful truth: Silence is the Enemy of Justice.  Las Mujeres Asombrosas de Mexico, the amazing women of Mexico, refuse to be silent.  They are raising their voices and helping survivors to tell their stories.  Nobel Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu has said the first step toward justice is telling the truth.  The women of Mexico know that justice will never come until the truth is told. So they are telling the truth to everyone that will listen.  They are challenging political leadership, church leadership, and business leaders to focus on femicide, all forms of gender-based crimes, and the institutions that attack the very foundations that justice must be built upon.  But they are not simply cursing the darkness.  They are lighting candles as they advocate for laws, policies, procedures, and funding that will elevate the status of women and provide the resources for both prevention and intervention initiatives.  They are looking forward and dreaming big as they craft a vision for a Mexico with safety, economic opportunity, and community support for full equality for women and girls.

President Felipe Calderon, Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, and local, state, and federal elected officials are leading efforts to end the silence and provide resources to the struggle for justice for women and girls.  The conference this week was one such effort as the federal government announced a $20 million pesos investment in creating Centros de Justicia para Mujeres in states across Mexico.  The government is also seeking support from the European Union, the United Nations, Vital Voices Global Partnership, the Avon Foundation, and others.  The Centers, modeled on the San Diego Family Justice Center, will also rely heavily on the Mexican FJC model – the Centro de Justicia Familiar de Monterrey.   The Centro de Justicia Familiar in Nuevo Leon was opened in 2005 under the leadership of the State Attorney General’s Office.  Prosecutor Luis David Salinas Ortiz, Aixa Alvarado, and a diverse team from public and private agencies in Monterrey led this effort with the support of President Vicente Fox.  Today, the Center is a model for all of Mexico and is one of the most impressive Centers in the world.

The new Mexican Family Justice Initiative to create five Women’s Justice Centers will give a voice to survivors and bring together government agencies, civil society organizations, and other supporters to create unique Centers that will reflect the geographic, ethnic, and cultural diversity of Mexico.  USAID, Management Systems International, the National Family Justice Center Alliance, and key leaders in Mexico are coming together to make this initiative successful.  Each Center will seek to bring together all the services a victim and her children need under one roof.  Each Center will partner with local shelters and civil society organizations to create a network of support that will result in wraparound services when a woman walks through the door of one of the new Justice Centers.  Specially trained police officers, prosecutors, advocates, psychologists, doctors, nurses, civil attorneys, job training specialists, teachers, and child advocates will be at each Center to meet the needs of those coming forward for help.

As I reflect on these past days in Mexico, I realize that I have learned so much.  In the United States, we have so many resources and a rich history of efforts to address violence against women and girls.  But the courageous women of Mexico, and the men that support them, can teach all of us a great deal.  They are coming together.  They are thinking outside the box.  They are embracing the need for criminal and civil justice services to be part of their intervention and prevention efforts.  They realize that co-locating providers creates power, enhances the safety of service providers and victims, and increases the volume of the voices for change.  They are listening to survivors who are begging for all their services to be coordinated.  They are refusing to build a system of intervention based primarily in secrecy and silence and independently operating agencies.

To be sure, there is more to be done.  Bishop Tutu has said for justice to be done we must first tell the truth about the injustices, then we must try to undo or repair the harm that has been done, and then we must change the social conditions that produced the injustices.  The Women’s Justice Centers and many other initiatives in Mexico are going to focus on all three pieces: Telling the truth, repairing the harm, and then changing the social conditions that produce the injustices. But the social change forces are gaining strength in Mexico.

Las Mujeres Asombrosas de Mexico want women to be able to live their lives, engage in society, and be able to walk the streets and live in their homes safely and without fear.  They have reminded me again that silence is the enemy of justice and today is our best opportunity yet to make a difference in the lives of those that are depending on us to provide justice.