Border Crisis: Juarez, Mexico 2nd Draft

Ami Peterson

Professor Ceraldi

DWRI-0093

15 February 2011

Border Crisis: Juarez, Mexico 2nd Draft

Just across the Rio Grande from what is claimed as one of the safest cities in the United States, lies the murder capital of the world, Juarez Mexico. The people of Juarez are fighting what many perceive as a losing battle. Drug cartels, countless murders, and young women being forced to work in factories also known as "Maquiladoras" under abused labor laws are just some of the few battles the once promising city faces today.

In the city of Juarez lies a population of roughly just over two million people. Most of who have migrated to find work to support their families. The work they come to find is often in a Maquiladora. Young women migrate to these factories in hopes of earning a decent salary, and starting a better life. In 1993 The North American Free Trade Agreement was established, opening the flood gates for companies such as General Electric, Ford, CIFRA-Wal-Mart to open factories in foreign countries. In doing this products would be cheaper for consumers due to lower labor costs. Since NAFTA was implemented on January 1st 1994 trade statistics have soared 70% between US, Mexico and Canada. To Economists, and major business people this news may sound promising. The opening of the Maquilas in border towns such as Juarez Mexico promised a silver lining on a dark cloud for many Mexican citizens trying to make the best out of life. The working conditions of these factories are often "high class" equipped with air conditioners, break rooms, and state of the art technology. This unfortunately is as much technology as one working in a maquila will ever see. Labor laws are often abused in maquilas, girls as young as 11 or 12 will be hired with fake i.e. out of desperation to help support their families. Women are sometimes forced to take pregnancy tests upon being hired to work, or are flat our fired if they are found out to be pregnant. "This is a violation of domestic labor law" states NAO. It has even been found that if you are to be pregnant, you would be reassigned to an area exposing yourself to hazardous conditions to be forced to quit, or be terminated. This kind of harassment has often led young women into hiding pregnancy by wearing tight fitted clothing to hold down the belly for as long as possible.

Since August of 1993 Mexican Federals have been baffled by the number of young women found raped and murdered in the outskirts of Cuidad Juarez. Most of these violent deaths are believed to be associated from drug dealers, husbands, and boyfriends. However a third of the deaths remain unexplained. Most of the victims all bare the same features: slim, dark haired and anywhere from 12-18 years in age. Most of these women