Series of Femicides Cast a Dark Shadow Over Mexico's 'Sunshine State' Nina Lakhani - The Guardian
go to original November 25, 2015

Domestic abuse is endemic in Mexico, with all social classes at risk and with wide reaching effects beyond the individual victim. Laura Carlsen interviews Wendy Figueroa, director of the National Network of Shelters. (teleSUR English)

Quintana Roo is Mexico’s sunshine state, a booming tourists’ playground which draws record numbers of holiday-makers to its golden beaches, coral reefs, Mayan ruins and all-inclusive package deals.

But in recent weeks, the Caribbean region has been badly shaken by a string of brutal murders of women – which authorities have seemed keen to downplay.

Within the space of three weeks, seven women have been murdered, bringing the total to 18 so far this year. At least two of the victims were strangled, and several had been sexually assaulted before their bodies were dumped in public places. All the women were Mexican.

This latest surge in murders has renewed tensions between activists against gender violence, and government officials who accuse them of trying to derail tourism and economic progress.

Celina Izquierdo Sánchez, from the Quintana Roo Observatory of Social and Gender Violence, said that a “time bomb” of violence against women had exploded because state officials played down the scale of the problem. “Nothing was done due to the false belief that recognising and tackling gender violence would affect tourism,” she said. “Justice will not reduce tourism.”

Read the rest at The Guardian

Related: Threats for Mexican Women in Ciudad Juarez Prevail, Says Institute (Prensa Latina)

Related: The 'Decimos No Más (We Say No More)' Campaign Against Domestic Violence (AL DÍA News)

Related: Femicide in Mesoamerica Persists as Systemic Gender Violence (teleSUR)

Related: Mexican Consulate Expands Assistance Program for Domestic Violence Victims in Orange County (OC Register)

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