Mexico President Explosive Take On Rising Femicides: 'Strategy Remains Unchanged'

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador touched a raw nerve when he announced on Tuesday that the rising femicides in the country will not alter or affect the government’s strategy to use the same.

“No – on the contrary, we are going to reinforce the same strategy of looking at the causes of violence,” said Obrador, also called Amlo, while referencing the gender violence crisis that claims at least ten (women’s) lives every day. “To seek to live in a better society, to attend to young people, to attend to the countryside, for there to be no unemployment, for the disintegration of families to be avoided, for values to be strengthened,” he added.

The leader spoke two days after a massive demonstration ensued, which saw the convergence of over 80,000 women march for the injustices meted out against their gender.

The gory homicides had grown in the recent past, including the kidnap-killing of a seven-year-old girl and a gnawing murder mutilation. Incidentally, a majority of the crimes go unpunished. In response to the growing indifference to a distressing issue, hordes of women from all walks of life took to the streets and protested to draw attention for lives lost through femicides.

The statement irked several women across the country, who accused the President about “voicing misgivings about the women’s protests”. “Amlo sees that these protests are organized by groups other than his – so he just dismisses them,” said Alicia Islas, a doctoral student and public policy instructor at the Autonomous National University of Mexico, to a media outlet.

What’s even infuriating to note is that women feel Amlo has downplayed the issue— by conveniently overlooking his promise to overturn “neoliberal” policies— the very aspect that he promised to look into upon coming into power.

In a bid to bring things under control, the President reiterated that women’s movements are crucial and that his government supports them. Amlo went on to list possible solutions to the crisis and spoke about taking conscious measures to ensure “ values are strengthened”. Yet, Amlo exercised caution while addressing the issue, which he did not term “femicide” nor did he mention any gender issues.