Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center
El Paso supporters fear for the safety of all Juárez activists
El Paso, Texas – Cipriana Jurado, a long-time human rights activist in Juárez who was repeatedly threatened for her work, is asking for asylum in the United States. Jurado, who is represented in El Paso by immigration attorney Carlos Spector, will have her asylum hearing
Wednesday, March 16.
Cipriana took the difficult decision to leave Mexico after many of her activist colleagues were threatened and murdered, including her dear friend Josefina Reyes and several members of the Reyes family.
“There is no doubt that I would be next if I stayed in Mexico,” she told reporters.
“The chilling reality is that it is open season on human rights activists in Mexico. It is our duty to do everything in our power to protect those who have worked their entire lives to protect others,” Spector said.
Cipriana, 46, started her activism while working for various maquiladoras and trying to better workers’ conditions. Later, she helped families look for the remains of their disappeared and murdered daughters. In the mid-90s, she founded the Center for Information and Solidarity for Working Women (CISO). More recently she has spoken against the militarization of Juárez.
In January 2010, Cipriana’s friend Josefina Reyes was gunned down after receiving a death threats for protesting against alleged abuses by Mexican soldiers. This year, several other members of the Reyes family were murdered. Many other activists have been threatened and
murdered.
El Paso, Texas – Cipriana Jurado, a long-time human rights activist in Juárez who was repeatedly threatened for her work, is asking for asylum in the United States. Jurado, who is represented in El Paso by immigration attorney Carlos Spector, will have her asylum hearing
Wednesday, March 16.
Cipriana took the difficult decision to leave Mexico after many of her activist colleagues were threatened and murdered, including her dear friend Josefina Reyes and several members of the Reyes family.
“There is no doubt that I would be next if I stayed in Mexico,” she told reporters.
“The chilling reality is that it is open season on human rights activists in Mexico. It is our duty to do everything in our power to protect those who have worked their entire lives to protect others,” Spector said.
Cipriana, 46, started her activism while working for various maquiladoras and trying to better workers’ conditions. Later, she helped families look for the remains of their disappeared and murdered daughters. In the mid-90s, she founded the Center for Information and Solidarity for Working Women (CISO). More recently she has spoken against the militarization of Juárez.
In January 2010, Cipriana’s friend Josefina Reyes was gunned down after receiving a death threats for protesting against alleged abuses by Mexican soldiers. This year, several other members of the Reyes family were murdered. Many other activists have been threatened and
murdered.
Cipriana will be at the press conference, along with several El Paso organizations, including Annunciation House, DMRS, Las Americas, Columbans, El Puente, The Border Network for Human Rights, and more.
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