By Diana Barrera

This is a statement against police brutality and state violations to women’s human rights directed at feminist activists. Mexican authorities had not responded, or had denied the accusations regarding these serious allegations.

Sisters in Mexico are being tortured because they stand up and demonstrate demanding justice for rapes, abductions, and femicides. What happens when the state, supposed to impart justice, is the one who wants us hunted down?

Tired of inaction and inefficiency from the authorities, a group of mothers and supporter women decided to occupy the Human Rights Commission office in Mexico in Mexico City at the beginning of September 2020.The group named themselves the Okupa Cuba Casa Refugio, (Cuba Occupation-Shelter House) later Casa Refugio Okupa Cuba Monumenta Viva (Cuba Occupation-Shelter House Alive Monument), Okupa for short. They converted the building into a refuge for women and children escaping male violence. Through donations and a range of activities and workshops they hosted, the organisation was self-sustaining.

After nearly two years and a number of attempts to shut them down, while persecuting the organisers, the police deployed hundreds of officers to evict three of the women who were at Okupa over Good Friday on April 15th2022. They were kept in custody briefly and two days later have been housed in the women’s section at the Santa Martha Acatitla prison, without recourse to bail. The detention of the women evicted from the Okupa has been full of suspiciously irregular proceedings (like denying them bail), some of which amount to human rights violations.

This has happened in an increased climate of police brutality. The rampant institutional violence against feminist activists all over the country can be further illustrated with the following events:

Estado de México. In 2019 Irene’s daughter was abducted, drugged, beaten up, threatened, and raped. After the three-day initial ordeal, Irene and her daughter were incessantly persecuted by the police in attempt to silence them. Fast-forward to April 1st 2022, Irene was illegally detained by transit police on false accusations and was found three hours later beaten up and missing a couple of teeth. The following day feminist collectives and activists congregated outside the Chimalhuacán Prosecution Office. Women who attended to provide extra support were also physically, verbally and sexually abused. On April 3rd in Chimalhuacán, Estado de México about 300 police officers beat up a group of 17 female protestors including three minors who were looking for Irene. The aftermath of this later attack saw women with fractured ribs, and arms and brain damage.

Nuevo León. The state Governor, Samuel García had made a statement claiming that the doors of his office were always open. It was only April the 11th  when about 200 police officers repressed a group of 20 women in the state of Nuevo León at a peaceful demonstration requesting action to tackle the rise in missing women and girls in that state. The protestors outside the Governor’s office were physically, verbally and sexually abused after being attacked with gas. The aftermath is 15+ missing women, including ten girls. Women were left with broken noses, damaged ribs, and most of them affected by the gas attack.

Morelia. At a peaceful protest, the governor names a feminist collective as responsible and creates criminal investigation files for these women. The government orders that police use guns loaded with marbles, pellets and paint. As a result women are wounded and their faces covered in blood. Among those who were burnt by the gas, there are women, a baby, and a male reporter. Later, 13 women were kept in custody, had to pay fines and were sentenced to 36 hours of community service.

Tlaxcala. Women were marching to protest against pimping, and the fact that this state has been recognised as the cradle of human trafficking. Most victims are women and girls. A group of ten women were surrounded by police forces.  As they waited for support they were attacked with gas, beaten up and threatened.

Guanajuato. A march to protest against sexual harassment was met by police officers who arrested protesters. Officers also abused minors and journalists physically, verbally and sexually.

Queretaro.  International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2021, legal complaints were raised against feminist activists on the basis of their activism, but justified with fabricated evidence of unrelated offences. Ten women were detained, including one minor. A year later, the fabricated files still stand and activists are under investigation.

I approached women at the Okupa and this is what they told me:

“Thank you sisters for your support!  We want to highlight the criminalisation of feminists, bring visibility to state torture against women and our fellow feminist activists; as well as the fabrication of evidence files. We also want to show support to the women and girls in Chimalhuacán, some of which have broken ribs, brain contusions and broken arms; there’s one who needs surgery and is still awaiting medical attention.”

The bigger picture is that women who stand up to sexual violence against women and girls, are in the best cases ignored, in the worst attacked, tortured and brutalised, by police forces.  Meanwhile women and girls continue to be abducted, in the face of negligence and lack of interest from public authorities. Femicides are still calculated at 11 every single day.

We stand with our Mexican sisters in hope and solidarity, but more than anything together we demand justice. Please join us in support of them by spreading the word and staying informed using the # below in your social media

#MexicoFeminicida

#MexicoTorturaMujeres

If you are able, get in touch with Mexican authorities to request that they stop the criminalisation, torture, and political persecution of feminists. No more fake investigation files.

You can also contact women affected.

Free the three women evicted from Okupa

https://www.facebook.com/Libres-las-3-117387187614223/

Women survivors from the Chimalhuacán attack

https://www.facebook.com/ChimalhuacanFeminicida/