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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/01/mexico-politician-fencing-prevent-sexual-assaults-iris-aguirre
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| Mexico politician under fire for giving chickenwire to prevent sexual assaults | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A politician in northern Mexico has come under fire for giving away chickenwire to inhabitants of an indigenous community as way to stop sexual assaults. | |
| Iris Aguirre posted a photo on her Facebook page in which she posed with bales of chickenwire and poles with a caption saying the materials would be put to use in a rugged region of Zacatecas state populated by the indigenous Tepehuán people. | |
| “In support of our Tepehuán brothers in the Sierra de Valparaíso, we have given mesh to seal off and prevent people coming in and raping their girls,” Aguirre wrote. | |
| The post stirred outrage in Mexico, where authorities have repeatedly addressed the country’s epidemic of sexual violence with stopgap measures while failing to push for investigation and prosecution of offenders. | The post stirred outrage in Mexico, where authorities have repeatedly addressed the country’s epidemic of sexual violence with stopgap measures while failing to push for investigation and prosecution of offenders. |
| Previous simplistic responses to the wave of rape and “femicides” include a plan to distribute plastic whistles to women in Mexico City. The city has introduced female-only subway carriages, buses and taxis. | Previous simplistic responses to the wave of rape and “femicides” include a plan to distribute plastic whistles to women in Mexico City. The city has introduced female-only subway carriages, buses and taxis. |
| But the country’s authorities have often avoided tougher actions, such as increasing enforcement, investigating allegations of sexual violence or issuing state-wide alerts to address the rising numbers femicides. | But the country’s authorities have often avoided tougher actions, such as increasing enforcement, investigating allegations of sexual violence or issuing state-wide alerts to address the rising numbers femicides. |
| Mexican social media users savaged Aguirre’s comments. “They’re proposing locking them up in a cage instead of applying the law and combatting the people that are doing this evil? It’s an upside down world,” read one tweet. | Mexican social media users savaged Aguirre’s comments. “They’re proposing locking them up in a cage instead of applying the law and combatting the people that are doing this evil? It’s an upside down world,” read one tweet. |
| Aguirre followed up her post with another entry on Wednesday morning, saying she was trying to raise awareness of a spate of sexual assaults in Tepehuán communities and that thanks to her publicizing the problem the authorities had arrested three suspects. | Aguirre followed up her post with another entry on Wednesday morning, saying she was trying to raise awareness of a spate of sexual assaults in Tepehuán communities and that thanks to her publicizing the problem the authorities had arrested three suspects. |
| “For me it is important to allocate these economic resources … which contribute to security conditions in Tepehuán communities, especially those that affect girls, adolescents and women,” she wrote, adding she was working on new laws and “their application”. | “For me it is important to allocate these economic resources … which contribute to security conditions in Tepehuán communities, especially those that affect girls, adolescents and women,” she wrote, adding she was working on new laws and “their application”. |
| Aguirre occupies a seat in the Zacatecas state legislature assigned via proportional representation for the Social Encounter party, which was founded by evangelical pastors in 2015. | Aguirre occupies a seat in the Zacatecas state legislature assigned via proportional representation for the Social Encounter party, which was founded by evangelical pastors in 2015. |
| She previously courted controversy after Donald Trump’s election by blaming Mexican migrants – many of whom hail from Zacatecas – for their own misfortune and supposed unpopularity in the United States. | She previously courted controversy after Donald Trump’s election by blaming Mexican migrants – many of whom hail from Zacatecas – for their own misfortune and supposed unpopularity in the United States. |
| “They are making extreme decisions because Mexicans are sadly involved in very shameful things,” she said in the state legislature. “Mexicans have a bad reputation. Sadly, these are the consequences,” she continued, adding, “As the national representative of his country [Trump] is going to have impose very drastic restrictions. He’s doing it for the good of his people. We have to do it here, too.” | “They are making extreme decisions because Mexicans are sadly involved in very shameful things,” she said in the state legislature. “Mexicans have a bad reputation. Sadly, these are the consequences,” she continued, adding, “As the national representative of his country [Trump] is going to have impose very drastic restrictions. He’s doing it for the good of his people. We have to do it here, too.” |
| The hashtag #LadyTrump subsequently trended on Twitter. | The hashtag #LadyTrump subsequently trended on Twitter. |