Juárez mother takes plight to Washington

El Paso Times ^ | December 10, 2003 | Sergio Bustos

[FITZ]

WASHINGTON -- Two years ago, Norma Andrade went to Mexican authorities in Juárez to press them into solving the murder of her 17-year-old daughter, Lilia Alejandra. She's still waiting for justice.

Andrade said government officials have ignored her pleas for help as well as the pleas from relatives of at least 370 other young women who have been killed or reported missing in Juárez since 1993.

On a two-day visit to Washington that began Tuesday, Andrade told her story to lawmakers, congressional aides and Bush administration officials. She hopes to persuade Congress and the administration to pressure the Mexican government into investigating the gruesome crimes.

Andrade said she trusted local Mexican authorities to find the killer or killers. But eight months after her daughter's death she began having doubts after learning investigators had lied about collecting evidence.

Police at one point told her fingerprints could not be lifted from a human body.

"They lied to me," said Andrade, speaking through an interpreter at a Capitol Hill briefing crowded with congressional aides, lawmakers and reporters.

When she organized other victims' relatives to complain to Chihuahua state officials, Andrade said they were ridiculed. "They made fun of us, harassed us and threatened us," she said. "They told us we should be worried about our other daughters ... that they could be killed, too."

Andrade's visit, sponsored by the Washington, D.C., chapter of Amnesty International USA, follows a recent congressional trip to Juárez. Led by Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., the group wanted to draw U.S. attention to the murders and missing women.

[FITZ]

Okay -- while Vicente Fox is out there demanding "rights" to all his citizens in the USA --- what has he done about the 370 murders in just one border town of his country? Nothing at all.

[Bikers4Bush]

This is Mexico's problem. Our lawmakers should not be wasting their time listening to the plight of a Mexican citizen.

[csvset]

Good luck Norma. Vince Fox is deaf, dumb and blind regarding the plight of his fellow countrymen within his own country.

Where's the Un, NPR and the World Court on this ?

[wildbill]

Looks like a job for Kofi Annan and Hans Blick to me.

[aimhigh]

I'm convinced the murderer(s) works for the police dept in Mexico.

[Thinkin' Gal]

This is Mexico's problem. Our lawmakers should not be wasting their time listening to the plight of a Mexican citizen.

Well if she's registered to vote...

[Bikers4Bush]

Don't even get me started.

[FITZ]

There is evidence that many of the murderers are associated with the drug cartels ---- which obviously have the protection of the government and/or are sons of wealthy families who also have the protection of the government. Could easily be police too ---- one of the kidnappers and murderers of a 5 year old boy --- kidnapped for ransom --- was a Mexican policeman.

[FITZ]

Fox has done absolutely nothing about this issue. These are poor families not sending money into Mexico so they don't matter.