Solidarity with Mexican women
On the ninth anniversary of the attack against the population of Atenco, in Mexico, five Latin American organizations are stressing the importance of the charges filed by 11 victims of sexual violence and torture in the IACHR (Inter-American Court of Human Rights) for guaranteeing women’s rights and for combating gender violence in the region.
According to Prodh (Miguel Agustín Pro Juarez Human Rights Center), the case occurred in 2006 in the village of San Salvador Atenco. Responding to social protests triggered by the application of restrictions on the work of flower growers, the Mexican government ordered more than 2,500 municipal, state and federal security officers to raid the village. During the raid, at least 217 people were arrested – 47 of whom were women. At least 26 of them said they suffered aggression, torture and sexual violence when they were transported to the prison.
In April 2008, with the support of civil society organizations, 11 of these women filed a case in the Inter-American Commission.
“The charges by the women that they experienced arbitrary detention, sexual torture, unfair incarceration, public defamation and lack of access to justice is known internationally as one of the region’s main struggles on the subject of women’s rights,” reads the document sent to the IACHR by CELS (Center for Legal and Social Studies, of Argentina), Conectas, the Due Process of Law Foundation, Fundar (Center for Research and Analysis, of Mexico) and the Legal Defense Institute (of Peru).
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