Young angels in Juarez battle the city’s demons
By DEBORAH BONELLO
Channel: Latin American Affairs
In Ciudad Juarez, the violence is a constant, human suffering a given, and trying to understand why the city has so many problems depends on who you ask. The people who live there are justifiably weary of the violence and the near-blanket impunity enjoyed by those who perpetrate it.
But then, sometimes you meet people that offer a glimmer of hope — like a group of young “angels” who since 2010, get together on weekends and sometimes during the week to stand at crime scenes and street corners, asking murderers to repent. Is it having an impact?
Violence over the past year has declined. Local Juarez newspaper El Diario reports that murders in January 2012 were half what they were in 2011. Perhaps it’s just a momentarily lull, but the angels and their persistent determination suggest that Ciudad Juarez could emerge as something more than just a city of victims.
