WMC FBomb

New Podcast Investigates Femicides in Juarez, Mexico

WMC F Bomb The Red note 11920

Juárez, Mexico, has been called “the world’s most dangerous city,” especially for girls and women. One of the reasons for this moniker is the prevalence of femicide — a practice the World Health Oragnization defines as “the intentional murder of women because they are women” — in the Mexican border town.

Mexican investigative journalist Lydia Cacho hosts a new podcast called The Red Note, which breaks down the multiple layers of Juárez’s government and culture that have allowed these killings to continue without justice for victims or their families. The FBomb spoke with Alicia Fernandez, a journalist and Juárez native who helped conduct the interviews for the podcast.

Why was it important to make the podcast in both Spanish and English?

It is very important because I think it can go to a bigger audience if you have options. For the Latin American community, it’s important to see how all these situations are happening because many of these situations are in different places. [But] it’s not only about Latin American women or one country — it’s something that is happening also around the world. I think it will be better for everybody to know what’s going on with women and gendered violence.

Host Lydia Cacho notes in the beginning of the podcast that she herself is on the run. How did her situation affect making the podcast?

We were in a tough situation where there was a shooting. I am a reporter from Juárez, and I tried to act as I had trained for. I tried to act in a way that would help my partner. Even though you never know what’s going. Those types of situations became very tough for the team. I have reported on this for a long time. It’s tough not only because of the danger you could face but the fact that you are always with people who are waiting for someone to come back. Those situations make everything worse, but we have to get over it to tell the story.

One of my takeaways from the podcast is how multidimensional the roots of this issue are. In your opinion, what would be the most important next step Juárez and its government could take to make sure justice is served?

They have to work hard. The violence has been multiplied from many years of impunity. They have to take care of the corruption. They have to really work for the people and not only say that they are working. Corruption, I think, is the most important thing. That’s a few steps they have to do to take care of women’s violence.

It’s not only about the government [but also] about the culture. We have to work as a country on education.

How did you approach interviewing people who have suffered incredible tragedies, as was often the case in this production?

I try to be very respectful because they are people that are opening themselves, their souls, to you. Many of them have been searching for their relatives for a long time. You have to be very honest. The way you talk to them, what you ask them.

At some point you build a relationship. I have worked with some of them for a long time, so there is some kind of trust. They know what to expect. They know you’re going to be respectful of them. That you are not trying to hurt them more. You have to give them time, be patient. I’m always trying to explain what I’m trying to do, what is the goal of this. I don’t try to give them fake expectations because I’m not the one who is going to solve this, but I could be a window to show it. In that way I think you have to be very, very sensitive about it.

How often did you find sources who might not have wanted to speak for fear of death or retribution?

Actually some of the people that were interviewed on the podcast were already working around this issue for a long time, so they even have to move from their city to another to try to avoid these attacks. Some of these families were getting shot. The government is not preventing these things from happening, but it’s also not protecting families or relatives that are trying to find the truth or trying to find their daughter. It’s a complicated situation.

I know the #MeToo movement was paradigm shifting in America. Do you feel like any of that influence has reached Juárez?

I think the #MeToo movement has been a very inspiring movement. In [many] countries, including Mexico, there was a sense that everybody needs to talk about what was happening and what they were living [with]. In Juárez there is a feminist movement, which didn’t just start because of #MeToo, but [started] before it, when everyone started to know about the murdering of women. Definitely it has been growing. With each generation you can see much more women getting involved. Many people have been brave and said ‘it has happened to me.’ So, yes, the feminist movement is growing.

The podcast reports that America is responsible for supplying weapons to cartels. Could you speak more about how America is complicit in the cycle of gendered violence in Juárez?

Juárez is located in a special geographic situation. It’s one of the borders that is very important for the crimes and gangs. A pound of cocaine increases its value in the United States. It’s very convenient for the drug dealers. There’s also this interchange of guns. Many guns come from Mexico to the United States, but also many guns come from the United States to Mexico. Somebody is letting this happen. Along with corruption, this has made this business grow up, also the human trafficking business.



More articles by Category: Violence against women
More articles by Tag: South & Central America, Violence
SHARE

[SHARE]

Article.DirectLink

Contributor
Categories
Sign up for our Newsletter

Learn more about topics like these by signing up for Women’s Media Center’s newsletter.