Raül Romeva i Rueda

Ens trobem en la setmana clau pel que fa a l’adopció de l’informe sobre assassinats de dones a Mèxic i Amèrica Central (feminicidis/femicidis). L’elaboració d’aquest informe, tal i com ja he comentat en d’altres ocasions (veure categoria feminicidis), ha suposat un intens treball de contactes i diàleg constants amb actors de sensibilitats i punts de vista diferents, d’acostament de posicions inicialment divergents, de clarificació de termes i conceptes sovint malinterpretats expressament, i de sortejar impediments burocràtics que amagaven manifestes voluntats obstruccionistes. Però finalment ja hi som. Aquesta setmana debatim (dimecres) i votem (dijous) l’informe. Després de la dura i complexa negociació que va suposar la votació en Comissió (amb més de 101 esmenes), el text sembla comptar ara amb el suport majoritari de la cambra. No obstant, la conscienciació en un tema com aquest és important i necessària fins el darrer instant, com ho demostra, entre d’altres, la carta que Amnistia Internacional està enviant a totes les diputades i diputats demanant-los de manera explícita el suport a l’informe. (segueix…)

Dear Mr. and Mrs.

We are writing to you to ask you to support the resolution (2007/2025 (INI) on the killing of women in Central America and Mexico which is to be presented to the parliament on 10/11 October. I also request that you urge other MEPs from our country and other EU countries to support the resolution.

We think it is particularly important to support this resolution given the very serious level of violence against women and impunity in Mexico and Central American countries. In relation to Mexico there are a number of important facts that I would like to make you aware of and which I hope will assist you in your decision to support the resolution.

As you are aware, Mexico has established an important relationship with EU institutions, including the free trade agreement. Over the last decade some important advances have been made in addressing the human rights situation in Mexico. Nevertheless, deep problems still exist which mean many sectors of the population are routinely denied access to justice or security and suffer discrimination. One issue that is now only beginning to be tackled is violence against women. In 2007, Mexico National Statistics Office (INEGI) and the National Institute for Women (INMUJERES) published findings that 67% of women reported being subject to some form of violence, whether in the home, in the community, at school or at work. Nevertheless, prosecutions for such cases are rare and the lack of effective action by the authorities means that women frequently prefer not to file official complaints, leaving the problems to get worse.

The most emblematic of cases of violence against women in recent years have been in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City in the north of Mexico. Amnesty International has researched and campaigned for an end to violence against women in these two cities for five years and issued reports, including the main call to action, "Intolerable Killings, 10 years of abductions and murders of women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua" in 2003.

To date more than 400 women have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City in a range of circumstances, at least one third involving sexual violence. Other women have also been reported disappeared.

Despite improvements in the attention to cases in recent years, at least 140 cases remain unsolved – many of those including the most brutal killings. More than 170 state officials were implicated by federal investigators in acts of negligence and omission. None of these have been brought to justice. Reports of disappearances and murders continue, despite some of the positive efforts taken by federal and state authorities to improve investigations and prevention.

The federal government has argued that there was not really a pattern of violence against women, just a collection of cases that were blown out of proportion, and that the situation has been resolved. As a result, the new government has been keen to reduce attention on Ciudad Juarez.  For example, the Special Prosecutor’s Office no longer works directly on cases in Ciudad Juarez and the once autonomous Special Commission on Ciudad Juarez has been downgraded and incorporated into the National Institute for Women.

Human rights activists from organizations working on behalf of the families have faced less harassment under the present state level administration. However, AI continues to receive reports of intimidation against defenders and failure to effectively apply protection measures agreed by the authorities.

The Chihuahua state government has carried out pioneering reforms of the criminal justice system which AI has welcomed. However, there are still reports of the use of torture and police abuses which do not appear to have been adequately investigated. The state government insists that there is no longer a problem in Ciudad Juarez, but this appears to be more designed to divert attention as underlying issues have not been fully addressed.

Amnesty International has recognized the complex nature of the pattern of violence against women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, which involve many different types of crimes, and some of the important steps taken by the federal and state government in recent years. However, the impact of these steps has not been adequately evaluated and women remain very insecure in both cities. It is vital that the international community assist the Mexican authorities in continuing to tackle these problems.

The resolution that is to be voted on highlights many of the problems that continue to give rise to violence against women in Ciudad Juarez and recognizes that gender violence is not restricted to Mexico or Central America. It does not attack the Mexican authorities, but seeks to highlight the continuing need to prioritize this issue both in terms of the Mexican government’s own domestic agenda as well as in the EU’s relations with the Mexican government.

Passing the resolution will send a valuable message that MEPs take this issue seriously and that the EU and Mexican authorities should continue to prioritize the issue and work together to find effective solutions. By supporting this resolution you will also be supporting the efforts of human rights organizations and the mothers and family members of the victims of gender violence in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua and across Mexico and Central America. These people struggle everyday for justice and for their cases not to be ignored or downplayed. One of the first steps to ending gender violence is to making it visible to the wider public and remind institutions of their role to end discrimination and violence against women. Tackling violence against women is a key challenge for the Mexican government which must not be ignored.

Sincerely,

Lene Mette Sorensen, Coordinator, Action on Mexico                                                               

 Sergio Laurenti, Executive Director

Foto: Acció de AI-Mèxic davant l’embaixada de Guatemala en denuncia per l’assassinat de Maria Isabel Veliz Franco. Font: Amnistia Internacional.