On June 2nd, the Cereza Collective and the Popular Campaign against Violence against Women and Femicides in Chiapas highlighted in a videoconference various violent situations that have occurred in San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas during the health emergency due to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus.
They denounced that staying at home has increased violence against women and girls, being at the mercy of their attackers. “April became the deadliest month for women in Mexico; nine women died daily. In addition, domestic and care work for women has increased, which they had been doing without a pandemic in conditions of overexploitation”, they said.
They stated in particular that “women deprived of liberty have been affected differently and disproportionately in economic, social, cultural, justice and health rights”, since “the criminal justice system in Chiapas reproduces the criminalization of the impoverished, indigenous and migrant population; in class, race and gender inequality. Therefore, it is important to highlight the series of omissions by the State, with the women of the Center for Social Reintegration for Sentences No. 5 of San Cristobal de Las Casas.”
They explained that in said prison, “the women receive only two meals a day, they do not have medical personnel and medications, they are held incommunicado unless they pay for telephone cards, this affects their family relationships and with their defense, the government does not cover basic needs, food, hygiene items, blankets, it is the family that does it. They do not have access to drinking water, affecting their right to health. They cover the cost of cooking gas, which is preferable, the hygiene and cooking conditions of the food they give them are very bad.”
They also recalled that after four days without access to a telephone line the previous week, they decided to “express their disagreement.” Given this, “the prison authorities reacted by repressing them with a toxic gas that they even sprayed inside the cells where the women were.”
After that, “the women were left with respiratory problems, headaches, burns to the face and hands, eye irritation from the effect of the gas.” Finally, civil organizations denounced that “on May 27th, the “wolf group” attempted to search for evidence kept by the women, with the intention of erasing evidence of the gassing. Today several women in CERSS 5 are having symptoms of COVID-19.”
For all of the above, “the authorities are in a situation of non-compliance with the obligations of the Mexican State in terms of international commitments”, they claimed
For more information in Spanish:
Libertad para mujeres injustamente presas en el Cerss.05 en Chiapas, contrafeminicidiochiapas, 2 de junio de 2020
Mujeres privadas de su libertad en el CERSS No.5 denuncian omisiones y violencia en medio de la pandemia por Covid-19, Chiapsparalelo, 2 de junio de 2020
Exigen liberar a mujeres presas en el penal de San Cristóbal de las Casas, Proceso, 26 de mayo de 2020
For more information from SIPAZ:
Chiapas: Cereza Collective Requests Release of Women Prisoners in San Cristobal de Las Casas (June 4, 2020)
Chiapas: Fear that Infected Prisoners in San Cristobal de Las Casas “Will only Come Out Dead” (May 26, 2020)
Chiapas: Outbreak of COVID-19 in San Cristobal Las Casas Prison (May 23, 2020)
Chiapas: Prisoners Start Hunger Strike over Health Fears Due to COVID-19 (May 21, 2020)
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