Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 9 March 2020
AP Explains: Mexican women to march against gender violence

By AMY GUTHRIE again in February, to 65
Associated Press years, and passed a con-
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Pro- stitutional amendment last
tests against gender vio- year that allows for preven-
lence in Mexico have in- tive detention for those ac-
tensified in recent years cused of domestic violence
amid an increase in kill- for a second time. The ma-
ings of women and girls. jority of women killed in
The killings are often ac- Mexico are targeted by
companied by sexual as- their own partners.
sault and sometimes grisly Authorities often lack the
mutilations. Women are tools, motivation and capa-
expected to express their bility to investigate crimes,
outrage in a march in leading family members of
Mexico City on Sunday, In- victims to pursue the cases
ternational Women's Day. themselves. Several moth-
Smaller demonstrations will ers complain that their
be held across the country. missing girls were initially
Women and girls also plan dismissed as runaways and
to hold protests on Mon- their killings wrongly ruled
day. Mexican women are suicides.
being urged to skip school, ___
shun housework and stay SOME PROTESTS BECOME
home from work to show In this Feb. 18, 2020 file photo, women protest against gender violence in front of the presidential ROWDY. WHY?
the country what it's like to office and residence, in Mexico City. A women's protest in Febru-
go one day without them. Associated Press ary became rowdy, follow-
___ ing a pattern of street out-
WHY ARE THEY MARCHING? ous countries in the world against women and a plastic bag found in an rage in the past. A masked
Government statistics show for girls and women. As against girls in Mexico is es- empty lot. protester tried to set fire to
that more than 10 females recently as 2017 an aver- pecially grave," said Nira The victims shared a his- a wooden door of the pres-
are slain on average ev- age of seven women were Cárdenas, coordinator of tory of abuse in their house- idential palace while others
ery day in Mexico, making killed each day in Mexico. the gender unit at the Of- holds, and failings by Mexi- drenched it with red paint.
it one of the most danger- "The context of violence fice of the United Nations can authorities. Destruction of public prop-
High Commissioner for Hu- A contingent of mothers of erty has become a main-
man Rights in Mexico. victims will march together stay of feminist protests in
Argentina announces In addition to half the pop- Sunday in a show of sorority Mexico City since a small
group trashed a bus station,
ulation being at high risk of and tears.
first coronavirus death violence, impunity is a ma- "We want to give a hug not police precinct and a ma-
jor monument in August in
jor problem. Few reported just to those who are no lon-
in Latin America crimes in Mexico result in ger physically here with us, disgust over the city's bun-
but also to each and all of gling of an alleged rape by
convictions.
Participation in the annual those women who will soon police of a teenager.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina day. Research is underway march on Sunday is ex- become part of our fam- The vandalism drew heavy
(AP) — A 64-year-old man to determine who the pa- pected to be higher than ily (of victims)," said Araceli criticism.
died in Argentina as a re- tient had been in contact during previous marches Osorio, mother of Lesvy The vandals argue that
sult of the new coronavirus, with, authorities said. as a broader swath of soci- Berlín, who was strangled women are more impor-
the first such death in Latin Elsewhere in the region, of- ety joins the families of the to death by a boyfriend tant than statues or broken
America, health authorities ficials in Peru announced killed and missing who fre- on the campus of Latin windows, which can be
announced Saturday. five new cases of COV- quently take to the streets, America's largest university repaired. A woman whose
The Ministry of Health said ID-19 infection Saturday, accompanied by feminists in 2017. life is cut short by violence
the patient lived in Bue- raising the country's total to and activists. ___ never returns, they say.
nos Aires and had been six. Paraguay reported its ___ WHAT IS MEXICO DOING "We ask ourselves all the
confirmed with COVID-19 first case, and Chile said it WHO ARE THE VICTIMS? ABOUT THE PROBLEM? time: What else can we
after coming down with now had seven confirmed A series of recent, highly Mexico has aggressive leg- do?" said Cárdenas.
a cough, fever and sore cases, up from five. publicized murders in Mex- islation for punishing violent ___
throat following a recent Costa Rica's Health Ministry ico has led to more de- crimes against women. The WHAT'S NEXT?
trip to Europe. confirmed four new cases bate and calls for protests deficit comes in the appli- The grass roots movement
The patient, who suffered of coronavirus, in addition against gender violence. cation of the law. for a nationwide strike by
kidney failure, had a history to that of a case involving The ex-wife of an influen- "Mexico is the country of women on Monday was
of diabetes, hypertension an American woman an- tial technology entrepre- rights on paper," says Ana inspired in part by similar
and bronchitis before be- nounced Friday. Her hus- neur was shot to death in Pecova, director of advo- actions in countries such as
ing infected with the virus, band was among the new November after testifying cacy group EQUIS Justice Argentina and Chile.
a statement said. He had cases. in a child custody case. A for Women. "We have to say: Enough
been in intensive care since Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador young woman was skinned Since 2011, murders of already," said María de la
being admitted to a public and Colombia also have and disemboweled, al- Mexican women that car- Luz Estrada, coordinator
hospital Wednesday. reported confirmed cases legedly by her boyfriend, ry signs of hatred for the of the National Citizen's
Officials said the man was of the new coronavirus. in February. Days later, a gender, such as mutilation, Observatory of Femicide.
not one of the eight con- According to the latest of- seven-year-old was kid- have come with a stiffer "We're calling for the rule of
firmed COVID-19 cases ficial data, there are more napped outside her ele- minimum sentence than law to work. They have to
previously reported for Ar- than 101,000 infected mentary school and sexu- regular homicides. guarantee the integrity of
gentina, but his case was worldwide and more than ally abused — the child's Congress increased the the lives of every male and
confirmed by tests Satur- 3,400 deaths.q lifeless body disposed of in femicide sentence once female."q