Juarez Murders Spur DC March
by Sergio Bustos
WASHINGTON - Cloaked in black gowns, two dozen women marched silently Wednesday in the sweltering heat of an August afternoon in search of justice for more than 320 girls and women killed in Juarez, Mexico, during the past nine years.
"The Mexican government is not cooperating with anybody in solving these cases," said Coco Fusco, a Columbia University professor who helped organized the march.
Joining Fusco were Ramona Morales, whose daughter was found dead in 1995, and Norma Andrade, whose daughter's mutilated body was discovered in 2001.
Morales and Andrade are part of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa (May Our Daughters Come Home), a group based in Juarez that represents the families of the murder victims.
Bearing placards with the faces and names of women who had been murdered in the Mexican border community near El Paso, the marchers began demonstrating in front of the headquarters of the Organization of American States, an arm of the United Nations. They then traveled to the nearby offices of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which monitors member countries for compliance with human rights laws and is investigating the Juarez murders.
After a closed-door meeting, Fusco said they were encouraged with the commission's progress in its investigation. She said Santiago Canton, the agency's executive secretary, told them the Juarez murders are a "high priority."
Fusco said commission officials also told them they want families of victims to come forward with information they might have related to the deaths of their relatives. She also said they promised to investigate complaints that the Mexican government was harassing and beating relatives of the victims.
"It was a productive meeting," Fusco said.
Andrade and Morales, the victims' mothers, said they were pleased with the support of commission officials.
"We think they are listening to us," Morales said. "We only wish the Mexican government would be as cooperative."
Copyright 2002 Arizona Republic