Frontera NorteSur March 2002

Chávez told Frontera NorteSur that a state official suggested that she stop being such a visible critic of the violence against women in the city because she might come to harm. The Cd. Juárez press interpreted this as a death threat against her, according to Chávez.

Chávez said that she interprets a death threat to be an anonymously made threat.

"I don't feel unsafe in the work I'm doing," Chávez said.

Other Casa Amiga News: Secretary's Murderer Still at Large

María Luisa Carsoli Berumen, age 33, was murdered on December 21, 2001, outside of the Casa Amiga Rape and Abuse Crisis Center where she worked as a receptionist. Carsoli Berumen leaves behind four children, ages 2, 3, 6 and 8.

As of February 28, 2002, police are still looking for Carsoli Berumen's husband, Ricardo Medina Acosta, the suspect in the case.

The Cd. Juárez newspaper El Diario reported that an unnamed cleaning woman that works at Casa Amiga stated that Carsoli Berumen's husband, Ricardo Medina Acosta, approached Carsoli Berumen as she arrived at work. The two began to argue and then Medina Acosta twice stabbed his wife, the woman said. The cleaning woman told police that she tried to stop Medina Acosta but could not. She yelled for help but no one came to assist, she stated.

After the attack, Chávez said that some of her friends suggested that maybe the killer's knife was intended for her. However, Chávez says such an explanation is absurd particularly because Carsoli Berumen had been abused by her husband before her murder.

Casa Amiga Funding

In other news related to Casa Amiga, Chávez stated that the center has not had its funding renewed by the Ciudad Juárez government. Chávez believes that the cut in funding is based in political games being played between the PRI and the PAN in Cd. Juárez.

Under the PAN administration of Mayor Gustavo Elizondo, which ended in 2001, Casa Amiga received 30,000 pesos (approximately US$3,200) per month. However, this funding was cut after last year's election was annulled and the state government appointed a PRI interim mayor. New elections are to be held by May, 2002 at the latest.

On February 15, 2002, the Cd. Juárez newspaper El Diario reported that two PRI city councilors postponed a petition to resume the 30,000 pesos per month in funding that Casa Amiga had previously received. The newspaper reported that PRI member Sara Tinajero requested that the funding be discussed at a later date, after it has been examined by the two city departments of Familia y Atención Social and Hacienda.

Also according to the El Diario article, Margarita Castillo, also of the PRI, said that Casa Amiga received too much funding from the administration of Mayor Gustavo Elizondo and added that the government cannot grant all the funding requests it receives.

Currently, Casa Amiga has a staff of 6 or 7 people including volunteers and is the only rape and abuse crisis center in Cd. Juárez--a city of 1.5 million people.

The center lacks a home for abused women and their children where they can recuperate from abuse, according to Chávez Cano. Such a home is a future priority for the center, she said.

César Jaúregui, a PAN city councilor, told El Diario that Casa Amiga does the work of the city in helping women that suffer the effects of the city's violence. Jaúregui added that it is well known that Chávez does not sympathize with the PAN but is to the left of his party. However, he respects this, he said.

"I differ with her in the way we see lots of things, but I give her my most profound respect for the work she does at Casa Amiga. I wish there were lots of Esther Chávez Canos," said Jaúregui.

Jaúregui also stated that the city, state and federal government have demonstrated over the years their absolute inability to do the work that Casa Amiga does. For this reason, the city should help fund Casa Amiga, he said.