400 Portraits: The Women of Juárez 

Denver Chicano Artist selected to UCLA  Benefit to Aid the Women of Juárez and Chihuahua City 

Approximately 400 girls and women have been killed in Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, since 1993. Many of the serial victims were sexually assaulted and mutilated. Although Mexican authorities have numerous suspects in custody, the suspicious slayings and disappearances continue. Juárez is a city of 1.3 million, across the border from El Paso, Texas, rated sixth-safest city in the United States.

Denver Chicano Artist Jerry Vigil has been comissioned by Socorro: Legal Services for Immigrant Women and Children to create a unique, Santos style art piece depicting Saint Joan of Arc, patron saint of rape vitims. "This is a vital story to the Chicano/Latino/Hispanic/Mexican community here in Denver and beyond because it marginilizes the people and the media isn't doing anything to help" say Jerry, "it doesn't matter where they come from, its a human issue, and big business may be involved".

The U.S. government has not gotten involved with the issue, claiming that it is Mexico’s problem since the crimes have occurred within Mexico’s borders. The Mexican government also refused to directly face these atrocities, asserting that this is a U.S. issue because the factories where many of these women work are owned by U.S. companies. Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) have stepped in to address the crisis and put pressure on the U.S. and Mexican governments to take action.

Taking Action 400 Portraits: The Women of Juárez is an art auction and awareness-raising event centered on the rape and murder of over 400 women in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

Our goals are to inform the public about the atrocities that have impacted the lives of the people of Juárez and the roles of the non-government organizations, the U.S. and Mexican governments in addressing the issue, and to motivate people to take action through a night of eloquent speakers, inspiring music, magnificent dance performances, and a silent auction of 400 artworks that represent each of the women who have died in Ciudad Juárez with a message of hope. The

proceeds will go toward Casa Amiga <http://www.casaamigajuarez.org/> , the sole rape crisis center in Ciudad Juárez, in hopes to construct a shelter for women and children that have survived, to provide them a safe haven. This event is a focused part of a broader struggle to prevent violence against women and foster compassion and well-being between men and women of all colors, nationalities, ethnicities, religions, ages, abilities, and personal identities.

The event will be held on Saturday, May 14th at 7:30PM in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom on the campus of UCLA in California.

  Please contact us at: fmla@ucla.edu

For more info on the art and Socorro: http://www.angelfire.com/co2/carve/protejajas.html