Hispanic Women Affected by the Cartels

by Victoria Zangaro

This violence needs to stop for women to have the freedom and the rights that are God-given rights.

According to the government of the United States, the Sinaloa Cartel located in Mexico, has emplaced one of the largest drug-trafficking organizations when compared to the rest of the world (Mexico cartels: Which are the biggest and most powerful? 2019). Women are not really given a choice on how they would want to act or how they want to resolve the topic. It is just done for them. They need to decide between life or death, and grievously there is no middle ground. Even, if it’s not their own death, it is the death of someone dear to their hearts, such as their husband, or their own sons. These women go through adversities when having to face these cartels. Many try to escape their own country for a chance of freedom and liberty. However, the way to escape is extremely impenetrable and sometimes they do not make it out. Many die in the process. What happens to these women more often in this escape to find freedom and a better life, is that they are raped. Women are forced to take part in sexual interaction with men, if not they will be threatened that one of their family members will be killed. Other times, the gangs will kill first a close relative, to threaten the women and hold her captive.

Women are candidly under many more inequalities just trying to escape their violent communities in search of a brighter tomorrow for herself and her family. This brings physical and emotional pain to the mother to be able to move forward, knowing what awaits her, if she does not do what these gang members want. Society wants to portray that women actually have a say on what to do, and they are able to stand up against these gang members and tell them no. In reality, these women, who are grandmothers, moms, daughters, and sisters, just want to do what is best for their family. There has to be a rise to advocate for these women that do not have a voice. Women and men who do have the voice and are not being persecuted by such violence in our community, need to speak up about these women and families, that their lives are being threatened. This violence needs to stop in order for women to have the freedom and the rights that are God-given rights.

Works Cited

[1] Mexico cartels: Which are the biggest and most powerful? (2019, October 24). Retrieved June 24, 2020, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40480405