Police murder a migrant woman in Tulum

Original text by Pan Y Rosas Mexico

A video is being circulated online in which four police officers murder Victoria, a migrant from El Salvador, after being restrained. The video has caused a huge outcry on social media. The murder happened last Friday evening in the Tumben Kaa neighbourhood, in the centre of Tulum.
 
It’s not the first time that we’ve witnessed cases of police brutality. The images are a reminder of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police in the USA, or the case of Giovanni Lopez who was arrested and killed by the police in Jalisco.
 
This case reminds us that the police force has never been about protecting us and that the institution acts as a guarantor of countless human rights abuses, murders and disappearances. As women, we experience this police violence in a harsher way, evidenced by reports of rape and sexual violence, as in the case of the repression at Atenco. On top of this is the collusion that these institutions have with trafficking networks that are responsible for the disappearances of thousands of women.
 
The case also illustrates that this police violence is inflicted upon migrants, with women being the most exposed to this xenophobia.
 
On the other hand, it’s not the first time that we’ve seen a case police brutality in Quintana Roo. We remember that a few months ago in Cancún, the police, together with the National Guard, used firearms to disperse a protest demanding justice for the femicide of Alexis.
 
Now, the Quintana Roo Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced the opening of a broad investigation into human rights violations, as if they were not part of the same institution that supports the actions of the police. Even if those responsible were dismissed from their jobs, that doesn’t amount to actual justice for the victim, and these kind of cases continue to happen.
 
At Pan y Rosas Mexico, we denounce police brutality and we demand justice for Victoria. In the face of attempts at repression, it’s necessary that we take to the streets in our thousands, condemning this situation. We demand a trial and punishment for those responsible. An independent investigatory commission is necessary, as it’s difficult for the same institutions that perpetuate these actions to guarantee justice. Get the police out of our streets and neighbourhoods.
here to edit.

Translated by Molly Shevlin

Original article: ​www.laizquierdadiario.mx/Policia-asesina-a-mujer-en-Tulum