Amnesty International has an online action calling for justice for the women who were raped, beaten, and humiliated by police in the wake of protests in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico, on May 3 and 4, 2006:
On May 3rd, rural flower farmers from the State of Mexico took their flowers to the Belisario Dominguez Market, in Texcoco, with the hope of setting up their stalls outside of the market, where they would sell their flowers. But upon arrival, they were met by various local, state, and federal police authorities.The flower farmers, who belong to the People’s Front in Defense of the Land (FPDT), were violently attacked by police forces who claimed that they are not a legitimate business and that they don’t have a designated location from which to sell their flowers.
Amnesty describes what happened next:
[...] Bárbara Italia Méndez, along with 25 other women, was arrested without explanation, beaten and raped by members of the Mexican police. Once in prison an official with the State Public Prosecutor’s Office refused to register her complaint about the abuse she suffered, and no proper medical examination was carried out. She was held in prison for 12 days before being released, and is still facing criminal charges. More than two years later, she is still waiting for justice. None of the officials responsible for her abuse have been prosecuted.
Click here to sign a letter asking members of Congress to urge Mexican officials to investigate the human rights abuses against these women. I realize that the Mexican government is not likely to leap into action to pursue justice. But I do think actions like this -- both our letters and the resolution Rep. Hilda Solis Doyle is pushing in Congress -- are important because they show we're paying attention, that we care about what happens to these women.
Here's more info from Amnesty on the two-year anniversary of the protests.
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I live in Oklahoma and being closer to Mexico than the rest of the country I'm surprised that I had not heard about this until today. So sad. I signed the petition.
Horrifying. Thank you for the links.
Sadly, I read or hear about stories too much. Its horrible the way Mexican women are treated in Mexico. Personally, I've boycotted Mexico this Spring Break and went somewhere else not only for my own personal safety reasons, but in protest against the fucked treatment the women commonly experience there.
Thanks for posting this. I will be signing the petition.