Chiapas: State complicity in femicide denounced

@Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Center for Human Rights

On 21 April, a press conference was held at the Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas Center for Human Rights that was organized by the groups which comprise the Popular Campaign against Violence against Women and Femicide in Chiapas.

The communiqué distributed on this occasion denounced the release of Romeo Poumian Flores, the presumed murderer of Citlali de Lourdes Molina Aguilar, who was killed in June 2013 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and of Elmar Darinel Díaz Solórzano, who presumably murdered Tatiana Trujilo Rodríguez in April 2010.

The organizations accused the State of being complicit with femicide and indicated that the number of femicides continue to increase in Chiapas (at least three women were killed the previous weekend in the state, they emphasized), and following the lack of serious investigation and justice, it would seem that “in Chiapas violence […] against women is acceptable.”

They demanded that the State observe its obligation of guaranteeing women a life free of violence, that the release of Elmar Darinel Díaz Solórzano be reversed, that the crimes be investigated as they must, and that femicide not continue to enjoy impunity.

The organizations that declared the permanent gender alert starting last month affirmed that they will continue to follow the rest of the cases and the responses of the authorities to such.

For more information (in Spanish):

Comunicado de la Campaña Popular contra la Violencia hacia las Mujeres y el Feminicidio en Chiapas (21 de abril de 2014)

Incrementan los feminicidios en Chiapas, y más grave aún, la impunidad(Chiapas Paralelo, 22 de abril de 2014)

Exigen al gobierno de Chiapas que garantice una vida libre de violencia para las mujeres (Contra Poder, 22 de abril de 2014)

Exigen garantizar una vida libre de violencia a las mujeres (El Independiente, 22 de abril de 2014)

Boletin No. 12 del CDH Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas (9 de abril de 2014)

For more information from SIPAZ (in English):

Chiapas: Commemoration of the murder of Itzel Janet Méndez-Pérez and other victims of femicide (26 April 2014)

Chiapas: Amidst increase in femicide and impunity, civil organization proclaims permanent Gender Alert (30 March 2014)

National: Multiple activities for International Women’s Day (16 March 2014)

Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero: Activities to observe International Day of Non-Violence toward Women (8 December 2013)

Chiapas/Oaxaca: Conmemoration of femicides during Day of the Dead (13 November 2013)