Dear Nica Times:
Since the beginning of this year, six women have been murdered in the department of Matagalpa. Their names are Darling Flores, Guadalupe Chavarría, Xiomara Molinares, Amparo Avilés, Carolina Rivas and Xiomara Pérez. Another 21 women have been murdered throughout the rest of the country.
“Femicide” is the most extreme form of violence against women.
The Red de Mujeres de Matagalpa, the Red de Mujeres del Norte “Ana Lucila” and the Movimiento de Mujeres Jóvenes “Lidia Espinoza,” alarmed by the increasing numbers of women being mudered in our department, have initiated a permanent campaign against femicides.
Our aims are: 1) raise awareness among the population about the incidence of femicides in our country and about the fact that being silent about this situation is a form of being an accomplice; 2) demand that the National Police, Public Ministry and the other institutions involved in the investigation of these cases prioritize them and investigate them thoroughly; 3) make sure that women’s killers are incarcerated and serve a fair sentence to establish justice.
As part of this campaign, on May 20 we held a march through the streets of Matagalpa. On this occasion we were accompanied by many other organizations of our department.
Approximately 600 women took the streets of Matagalpa holding banners demanding justice and a more diligent attitude from the authorities. During the march we visited the departmental delegations of the Health Ministry, Public Ministry, Education Ministry, National Police and Court of Justice, where we read specific demands for each of these institutions.
The struggle to eradicate violence is a shared responsibility of the state, civil society and every single citizen.
The women’s movement in Matagalpa is deeply engaged in this struggle, taking any chance to shout aloud: “POR LA VIDA Y DIGNIDAD DE LAS MUJERES, NI UNA MUERTA MÁS. CÁRCEL PARA LOS ASESINOS, JUSTICIA PARA LAS MUJERES” (For the lives and dignity of women, not a single death more. Jail for killers, justice for women!”)
Edurne Larrakoetxea Bohigas
Matagalpa
