Guanajuato: women reported sexual and workplace harassment in addition to cover-up by the mayor of Silao

Gender-based violence continues to be a reality in Mexico; every day, thousands of women in the country face attacks in their daily lives, from public transport to at work. However, silence is no longer an option for many of them, and in this way, women from Silao Guanajuato came together to denounce sexual harassment and labor that they have suffered from their superiors, who are civil servants of the municipal government.

At a press conference, the four victims presented their cases and, although the type of aggression was different for some of them, what was constant in their accounts was the indifference and impunity that the state authorities had to deal with their complaints. It was until they approached some of the council councillors that they were backed to proceed legally against their aggressors.

Among the public officials who denounced, the name of Francisco Javier Guerrero Hernández, Market Manager in Silao, was dazzled by two of the victims for having engaged in labor abuse and harassment.

“There were many very uncomfortable situations that I experienced, obviously this has been coming since November, I hadn't reported it, I hadn't said it out of fear, out of fear that they would run me,” said one of the victims.

A second victim also reported having suffered workplace harassment by Francisco Javier Guerrero Hernández, whom he said he had assaulted her verbally, in the face of the abuse, the market administration worker went to file a complaint with the State Comptroller's Office who did not provide the required attention to her case.

Later, both victims went to the municipal president of Silao, Carlos García Villaseñor, with the intention of helping them and dismissing the public official for his actions. However, the only solution that the mayor proposed to them was to sign a coexistence agreement with their aggressor, in addition to revictimizing them with misogynistic comments.

“When we went up to the mayor's office to sign the agreement, he commented to us that we were the ones to blame for the way we dressed, that we showed the administrator the bra and that was what made him disrespect us,” said one of Francisco Javier Guerrero Hernández's victims.

Similarly, the worker, who has 16 years of service in the administration, reported that the same municipal president threatened both victims, telling them that if they dared to report they would be fired from their job immediately.

At the same press conference, a third victim stated that she was unjustifiably dismissed for reporting to the Public Prosecutor's Office and Human Rights the sexual harassment that suffered from Marco Antonio Santoyo García, deputy director of Civil Protection of Silao.

The day after the victim informed the director of Civil Protection that she would proceed legally, she was fired from her job along with her same boss and another colleague, who supported her complaint and who testified on her behalf. It is worth mentioning that Marco Antonio Santoyo Ceja is the brother of Rogelio Santoyo, current secretary of the town hall of Silao.

“I only ask that justice be done because there is no reason why I just file the complaint and the next day I am discharged together with the former director of Civil Protection and my colleague who supported me in this situation,” said the victim of Marco Antonio Santoyo Ceja.

Also present at the press conference was a worker from the Silao trail, who told the administrator of the unit to harass her at work since she constantly criticized his work, encouraged ill-treatment and made misogynistic comments to him.

The victim related that what led her to make the decision to denounce was the uncomfortable situation she experienced when Juan Gutiérrez, administrator of the trail, told her that he had taken a photograph of her which at the time of showing it was the image of a freshly slaughtered beef hanging on hooks. In addition to intimidating her, the official mocked his own actions and commented that for him they are routine comments.

After the attacks, the victim of Juan Gutiérrez filed his complaint with the comptroller's office, but in the face of the institution's omission, he had to go to the human rights procurator's office. “I needed someone to listen to me, so I could do justice because it's not right that the women we're working on are getting that treatment.”

Councillors of the city council showed their support and accompaniment to the victims, as did the collective defending women's rights “Las libres”. Together, they request the removal of civil servants from their positions in the government of the municipality, as well as that they receive the corresponding penalty for the crime of sexual and occupational harassment.

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