Amnesty International and Jaguares announce Justice for the Women of Juarez Benefit Concert

Jaguares has joined with Amnesty International to demand justice for the nearly 400 murdered young women in Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico. For more than a decade, these two cities have been killing fields for young women, many of whom were raped and mutilated.

To help bring an end to the ongoing murders, Jaguares will continue to speak out during its forthcoming album tour, and has generously offered to perform at the Justice for the Women of Juarez Benefit Concert, on December 2 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, to support Amnesty's campaign to end violence against women in Juarez.

"Jaguares is participating in Amnesty International's benefit concert to help return dignity to the women of Juarez and to resolve this problem that has become a catastrophe. To do nothing would be to take part in the murders as well," said Saul Hernández, frontman of the multi-platinum Mexican rock band Jaguares.

Hernández added, "The government isn't doing enough to resolve this problem. We have to be the ones who generate change. It's important that people know their rights and use their right to denounce wrong doings. This may seem very idealistic, but I believe in a just world. Until I die, I will shout about these issues."

TAKE ACTION

Please join Jaguares and Amnesty International by sending letters to Mexican officials calling for an end to the violence, and to US lawmakers in support of pending legislation related to it. Specifically, supporting the bipartisan resolutions in the US Congress calling attention to the brutal murders of more than 370 young women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico since 1993. learn more »

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INTERVIEW with Saul Hernández Jaguares

Amnesty: What has motivated you to do this concert for the murdered and disappeared women of Juarez and Chihuahua?

SAUL: Our motivation is to help return dignity to the women of Juarez and to resolve this problem that has become a catastrophe. To do nothing would be to take part in the murders as well.

Many of the victims had worked in Maquiladoras. Do you think that these factories have a responsibility to protect their female employees?

Yes. It is now 10 years after the first murders. When these murders first began, the maquiladoras should have created a program to protect their female employees. These women continue to work in a high-risk area.

Why is it important for you to involve yourselves in the fight for the rights of women and human rights in general?

I think that the future of humanity does not solely depend upon the actions of governments, but of humanity itself. The government does not do enough to resolve this problem. We have to be the ones who generate change.

A disequilibrium exists. We need to stop and find a balance. It's important that people know their rights and use their right to denounce wrong doings. This may seem very idealistic, but I believe in a just world.

Until I die, I will shout about these issues.

What do you wish to accomplish by doing this concert for the women of Juarez? What is the message you want to send out to your public?

Our intention is to offer a different reality and point of view. We want to help and support this movement. Everyone in their own way should participate in these causes. I believe that people will wake up and take action.