Despite Estee Lauder’s evident view to the contrary, Ciudad Juarez is arguably Mexico’s darkest blot, a place where women walk violence-riddled streets to work ridiculous hours in sweatshops. And now the mother of a woman whose daughter succumbed to this city of blood, drugs, rape, and horror, has turned up dead herself after a two year war to avenge her daughter’s death.
Neighboring Praxedis G. Guerrero has upped the ante …
… with a young female chief of police, Marisol Valles Garcia … who is herself not unaware of the horrors that exist in Juarez.
In Ciudad Juarez, though, the assassination of “anti-crime crusader” Marisela Escobedo Ortiz in front of the governor’s office in Chihuahua by a carful of masked men just emphasizes the challenges faced by Garcia … and the truly unbelievable life it’s got to be for Juarez residents.
Lest you question Escobedo Ortiz’s vehemence and dedication, bear in mind that her daughter’s remains, burned and dismembered, were found in a trash can in 2009 Juarez. I mean, this woman and Natalee Hollway’s mother Beth Twitty have quite a bit in common when it gets right down to it … Beth Twitty just lives in a country that in general supports her endeavors to bring down Joran van der Sloot her daughter’s killer.
The same basic premise, located just a country away, is a very different tale.
A security video recording shows masked men pulling up in a car in front of the governor’s office in the northern city of Chihuahua. One appeared to exchange words with anti-crime crusader Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, who was holding a vigil outside.
She tried to flee by running across the street, but the gunman chased her down and shot her in the head late Thursday, said Jorge Gonzalez, special state prosecutor for crime prevention.
Escobedo was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where she died within minutes.
So this mother, a woman who could best case scenario bury charred fragments of her daughter, had evidently turned the pressure way up on authorities to crack down on crime. Hers was a relentless voice, and it was one that resonated, with protesters starting a new crusade, one based around “Justice for Marisela.”
And what about the crime itself, once again one so horrible that it ended up with bone fragments in a trash can? It does not speak well of the Mexican justice system, which has taken heat many times prior.
The scandal resulted in the suspension of three judges who had ordered the release of the main suspect in the daughter’s killing after he was absolved by a court in April for lack of evidence.
That man, Sergio Barraza, is now a chief suspect in the mother’s death, said Carlos Gonzalez, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office in Chihuahua state, where Ciudad Juarez is located.
Escobedo’s daughter, Rubi Frayre Escobedo, disappeared in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, in 2008.
Perhaps the saddest thing here is that Escobedo Ortiz was going above and beyond her own personal horror.
After the body was discovered last year, the mother launched a campaign pressing for a conviction in the case. Escobedo staged numerous marches, once wearing no clothes, wrapped only in a banner with her daughter’s photograph.
“This struggle is not only for my daughter,” Escobedo said through a megaphone at that march, her voice breaking. “Let’s not allow one more young woman to be killed in this city.”
Three days ago, she planted herself in front of the offices of Gov. Cesar Duarte and vowed not to move until investigators showed progress in the case. In an interview with the newspaper El Diario on Sunday, Escobedo said she had received death threats from Barraza’s family.
Yup, and nothing was done about it as violence was instead allowed to escalate once again. While Americans have a lot to say about illegal immigration, I am once again forced to ask myself … can you freaking blame people for trying to get away from that madness?
What a mess!
¡Escobedo por siempre vivo! ¡Muerte a Barraza!
Not to go off on a tangential rant, but I blame a lot of Americans for the drug war in Mexico and thereby the illegal immigration problem. Why? Because if you didn’t buy drugs, you wouldn’t be supporting the Mexican drug lords and the increased violence down south. Honestly, if I lived in Mexico, you can be damn sure that I would want to get the hell out of there ASAP.
Also, I really wish marijuana was legal simply because it would kick the legs right out from under the cartels.
Anyway, the singular lack of capability that the Mexican government shows in dealing with this is really starting to grate on me.
Ugh, you’re an idiot. Americans aren’t to blame for Mexicans behaving like rabid animals – the people are to blame and their government is to blame. The government is one with the drug lords and they are taking advantage of the drug market that is America. Sure, you can try to blame the American junkies for creating the market, but no matter what country you’re in there are drug dependent people.
Additionally the illegal immigration problem mostly seems to be about people coming here for work, taking advantage of our benefits and sending a whole bunch of shit back to Mexico to fund 323,936 other blood relatives’ illegal trek to the U.S. It has little to do with getting away from violence, although I’m sure that’s a perk they take into consideration.
Moreover, many of the drug cases that get prosecuted involving larger quantities involve Mexicans who are in America either illegally or with student visas. They come here and spread more drugs and violence. They’re not unlike the Al’Qaeda pigs that kill their own people and take advantage of the weak, stupid population.
Hmmm, I stopped reading after you called me an idiot you deranged twat.
I live in El Paso. I don’t watch the news. The reasons are many, but among the top ones is that on the local news every night you can count on *at least* 3 deaths being reported in Juarez. I think there was one night that we counted 6 stories of deaths in less than 5 minutes.
.
The real irony of the El Paso/Juarez area is that Juarez could be called the murder capital of the world, and El Paso is listed as the SECOND safest city in the US. (And, no, I’m not kidding.)
I am more than half way through the book The Daughter of Juarez and it is so heartbreaking to read! These amazing mothers, fathers & entired families that has to suffer what no parent should ever go through. I can’t believe the killings are still going on! From the accounts in the books the government is truly part of the problem. Just my thoughts.