Thousands of women Friday marched in nations across Central America to raise awareness about the dangers of domestic violence, a crime that has cost the lives of hundreds in the region this year.
About 2,000 protesters marched through the center of Guatemala’s capital to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, demanding that the government do more to punish the attackers.
“Violence and impunity are still the major problems facing Guatemalan women. Violent deaths are not ending, and the crimes are more and more violent,” activist Sandra Moran told AFP.
More than 650 women died violent deaths this year in Guatemala, a country where 98 percent of the crimes committed go unsolved, according to official figures.
In Honduras, another 2,000 women took to the streets of the capital Tegucigalpa, calling for the dissolution of the army and demanding that the murders of 241 women this year be investigated.
Hundreds more marched in El Salvador, ending up in front of the country’s supreme court, where they called for more visibility toward the scourge of domestic violence.
At least 300 women have been killed in El Salvador this year, according to march organizer Mayra Scott.
Similar marches were held in Costa Rica and Panama, and in Nicaragua on Thursday.
