UN condemns shooting of Mexican activist in Juárez

[News_Editor]

UN condemns shooting of Mexican activist in Juárez

2011-12-07 07:23:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico on Tuesday condemned the shooting of a prominent activist in the violence-ridden city of Juárez near the U.S. border.

Norma Andrade, co-president of the advocacy organization "Our Daughters Return Home", was shot five times by unknown assailants on Friday. According to reports, she is now in a stable condition after the shooting attack.

Andrade became an activist after her daughter, a 17-year-old maquiladora worker, was kidnapped and found murdered in February 2001. "Mrs. Norma Andrade began her work as an advocate for women's human rights, in particular, demanding justice for the victims of femicide in the State of Chihuahua," the UN office said in a news release.

Andrade and her relatives have repeatedly received deaths threats for their work, causing Andrade to live outside Ciudad Juárez for security reasons.

"Since July of this year when (Mexican) President (Felipe Calderón) issued an Agreement establishing the foundations for the mechanism of protecting defenders of human rights, we don't have the advances to implement it effectively," UN spokesman Javier Hernández Valencia said. "Any delay continues to increase daily risks faced by victims and human rights defenders."

The United Nations also condemned the murder of activist Nepomuceno Moreno, who was killed in the state of Sonora on November 28. Moreno had been demanding justice for his son who was kidnapped in July 2010 and whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Hundreds of women have been killed in the northern city since 1993, while those responsible for the crimes have largely remained free. The Mexican government has failed to act despite numerous calls by international human rights organizations and local groups to continue the investigations. There have been claims that some officials may be involved in the crimes.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-12-07

[nigelnigel]

We used to go to Juarez when I was young...very lovely at the time but HELL NO now! I am 1/2 mexican and my relatives in El Paso don't even want to go near the border as some of the violence has spilled over on the U.S. side. Look up the murder rate statistics of the Sh*t hole...Thailand in its worse 10 years won't equal 1 day in Juarez.