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| College Students all over the Phoenix were often seen wearing this shirt in the fall of 2003 |
Gabriel Cruz,
The Voice
Contributing Writer
February 10, 2004
Imagine living in a city of over a million people. Then, imagine your mother, or your sister waking up one morning and going out in to the city to seek a job. You come home from school, excited, hoping your mother or sister found a new job at a new factory that just opened up. You wait hours and hours for your mother or sister to return, but they never do.
Since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the early 90’s, many multinational corporations, which pay little or no taxes to the Mexican Government, have established factories across the border from El Paso, Texas in the city of Juárez, Mexico.
Since 1993, more than 300 murders and disappearances have occurred on and around the streets of this large city. Pink crosses are painted on poles as a memorial to all the missing women and victims.
Many of the women who have disappeared have later been found dumped in ditches, shallow graves, or in the desert, raped and murdered. Many remain missing. This has prompted the FBI to get somewhat involved, yet the Mexican government has been less cooperative in the situation. What shocks everyone who is familiar with the murder and disappearance the most is that law enforcement has failed to uncover and find the answers to the disappearance and murder of the women.
The documentary Senorita Extraviada by Lourdes Portillo, aired on PBS brought international attention to the situation in 2002, when the film won the Special Jury Prize award at Sundance Film Festival. Since then, some of the women Portillo interviewed for the documentary have also turned up missing. Cries to the United Nations have been strong by human rights organizations who have stood firm to bring awareness to what is happening.
“Even though the issue has become an international concern, the Mexican Government still has not acted in a manner that would befit a concerned government, there are no transparent investigation plans as of yet, this is a shameful situation that could bring down any president,” said Portillo.
There are many questions, about who is responsible for the crimes. Drug cartels? Corrupt Law Enforcement officials? Serial Killers? Satanic Cults? Prostitution rings? Organ harvesting and trade?
“These crimes are crimes against humanity and they are an atrocity that is spreading not only in Mexico, but in Guatemala where there are hundreds of women who have been murdered in the last two years. What does this tell us, that in globalized world, poor women are disposable, that they can be sacrificed for the nefarious purposes and the killers can enjoy impunity?” says Portillo.
With all the questions that exist there is one thing that is clear, crimes are being committed, apparently without punishment.
In the next issue of The Voice, Gabriel Cruz will be traveling to Juarez to cover an event put on by several human rights activist organizations from across the world which will honor what is quickly becoming an international situation
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