Gabriel Cruz
The Voice
Contributing Writer
February 24, 2004
Valentine’s Day is known as a day of love, but in over 1,100 different locations worldwide, people organized and gathered to demonstrate their anger, sadness and demand that people listen to the situation of disappearing and murdered women in Juarez and Chihuahua.
In the city of Juarez, it was estimated that over 7,000 people from Australia, England, United States, Denmark, France and other nations marched to protest the Mexican Government for ignoring the situation. Amnesty International, a human rights organization organized the protest and March.
Many mothers of the missing daughters cried and others yelled in anger and disgust as they told their brief stories to a crowded lecture hall of journalists and members of the media from all over the world.
“When you leave, tell me with certainty of knowing the time when you will return.”
That was the slogan on shirts the Cervantes family wore, with a picture of Neyra Azcucena Cervantes, a 20 year old young woman from Chihuahua, Mexico, as they passed out information regarding the disappearance of over 300 women ages 14-25 in the cities of Juarez and Ciudad Chihuahua, Mexico.
On May 13, 2003, Neyra Azcucena Cervantes went to work one morning then stopped by school to talk with a school professor. Afterward she went to work, but never made it home that night. During previous months, it was explained by Neyra to her mother Rebecca that someone was following her around. To this day, her mother Rebecca Cervantes pleads to others regarding information of her daughter’s murder. No response has been heard. This is just one of the many of hundreds of stories that are told by the families of those women who have disappeared in the cities of Juarez and Chihuahua Mexico.
Livi Alcaraz, a current GCC student, made the trip to Juarez with 17 other students from various colleges such as Arizona State University, Mesa Community College, and Phoenix College.
“I went to because of what is going on with the women who have been disappearing and being murdered,” said Alcaraz. “I wanted to show my respect and support in the cause, and bring awareness to the people who do not know of the situation, I hope our presence will shed light to the government to show them that what is going on is not right, and something should be done,” continued Alcaraz.
Among those who also attended to show support were, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, other internationally known actresses and several U.S. Congresswomen.
“I am rich, I am famous, I am white. I have a daughter and granddaughter, and I know if they disappeared, the authorities would work very hard to find out who did it.” Said Fonda, “I have worked very hard to feel in my body what it would be like to lose a child and go to the authorities and be dismissed or beaten or have relatives beaten by the authorities just because the police needed to blame it on somebody because they were covering up for the people who did it.”
“I’m here because 300 young vibrant women are not,” said Field. “Now is the time on this planet when we have to stand up and shine the light on injustice.”
Mexican and International human-rights groups put the number of Juarez slayings at over 300 since 1993, when the body of the first victim was found. After the march, which ended at a central city park in Juarez, a special prayer was held for the victims, and local buses transported people free of charge to the local dance hall where “The Vagina Monologues” was performed free of charge by Fonda, Field and the other actresses.
Eve Ensler who wrote the Monologues said, “By this time next year, there will be people in prison. If that doesn’t happen, we will be back.”
Original Link: http://www.gccaz.edu/voiceonline/index.cfm?id=4168
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