United Nations react to Guanajuato's war against women

The state persecution and high levels of violence toward women in Guanajuato is drawing the attention of the United Nations. Its Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights noted the "worrying levels of violence, against women, including sexual," in the state, whose state government is run by the ultra-conservative wing of the PAN and where the extremist catholic organization El Yunque has particular influence. Some tangible effects: Persecution of women who have aborted, including having had miscarriages; ignorance of high levels of violence toward women; and the banning of sex education in schools. As noted, Guanajuato's levels of teen pregnancy are as a consequence exploding. 

After having visited several women locked up in jail accused of having had an abortion - illegal in the state - the UN mission presented formal  several recommendations to state governor Juan Manuel Oliva to protect women's rights in the state. 

The observer mission confirmed "the persistence of  cultural patterns that encourage discrimination against women, while limiting the full exercise of sexual and reproductive rights."

One can only hope that the renewed international spotlight on Guanajuato may force the government into backtracking in its war against women.

Who is intolerant and hateful?

The Mexican church, as noted, has resorted to a time-worn tactics of launching vicious tirades against its stated enemies, yet whenever any political actor responds to the what often amounts to hate speech, the church plays the victim, such as in the recent declarations by

Hugo Valdemar, top spokesperson for the Mexican church, where he accused its critics of fomenting "visceral intolerance and hate."

The same Valdemar in a recent radio interview with Radio W, volunteered his opinion on Marcelo Ebrard and the PRD


* "He has a fascist calling"
* "They [PRD and Ebrard] are doing worse damage than drug trafficking and have become the family's worst enemy; he is responsible for this disaster" [gay marriage in Mexico City]

The response of Alejandro Encinas, PRD group leader in the Chamber of Deputies:

"I reiterate the respect of the PRD parliamentary group and our whole party to ideological and religious diversity of our country, and I reject statements that only leads to polarization and discrimination, factors which are not conducive to democratic development and equality we have built. "

Who is the intolerant? You be the judge.