Las hijas de Juárez. (The Daughters of Juárez)

By staff -- Críticas, 7/15/2007

In this powerful account, Rodríguez, a journalist for the Spanish-language network Univision, chronicles the atrocities against women and girls that have been recurring in vast numbers since 1993 in the outskirts of Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez. The bodies of over 400 victims of brutal rapes, mutilations, and murders have been found, almost all of them young, pretty, poor women, who have little protection and almost no recourse after facing sexual assault in a town already stressed by a generally corrupt police force, misogynistic views, and tough economic times. Rodríguez presents many of the theories surrounding these as-yet-unsolved crimes, ranging from gang involvement, the work of a serial killer(s), satanic sacrifices, and political corruption. The vibrant—and at times gruesome—tone makes this an engaging, fast-paced call for justice.