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| How a Young Activist Triggered a #MeToo Avalanche in Mexico | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| MEXICO CITY — The #MeToo movement, nearly dormant in Mexico, was jump-started when an activist posted messages on Twitter last weekend in which she accused a young writer of having beaten and abused more than 10 women. | MEXICO CITY — The #MeToo movement, nearly dormant in Mexico, was jump-started when an activist posted messages on Twitter last weekend in which she accused a young writer of having beaten and abused more than 10 women. |
| The tweets inspired an avalanche of hundreds of messages on social media in which women detailed everything from common indignities like lewd advances and harassment to sexual assault and rape. | The tweets inspired an avalanche of hundreds of messages on social media in which women detailed everything from common indignities like lewd advances and harassment to sexual assault and rape. |
| “In Mexico, the scope of violence against women is unusually big for a Western country,” said Sabina Berman, a Mexican novelist and columnist. “It goes from unsolicited catcalling to the socially accepted constant harassment to the prohibition of an abortion to femicide.” | “In Mexico, the scope of violence against women is unusually big for a Western country,” said Sabina Berman, a Mexican novelist and columnist. “It goes from unsolicited catcalling to the socially accepted constant harassment to the prohibition of an abortion to femicide.” |
| “And that is why this matters so much,” Ms. Berman added. | “And that is why this matters so much,” Ms. Berman added. |
| The surge of women publicly accusing men — professors, filmmakers, novelists, journalists and businessmen among them — of mistreating them suggests that Mexico may be approaching a moment of reckoning with violence, harassment and mistreatment of women, an entrenched problem in a country that has made little space for accountability or public debates on the topic. | The surge of women publicly accusing men — professors, filmmakers, novelists, journalists and businessmen among them — of mistreating them suggests that Mexico may be approaching a moment of reckoning with violence, harassment and mistreatment of women, an entrenched problem in a country that has made little space for accountability or public debates on the topic. |
| The moment was cathartic, inspiring women to share their stories publicly and privately. But while many accusers identified themselves and named the man they said had harassed or attacked them, fear of retaliation or social ostracism led most of them to remain anonymous or not name the attacker. Critics said this raised questions about whether the accusations would result in criminal prosecutions. | The moment was cathartic, inspiring women to share their stories publicly and privately. But while many accusers identified themselves and named the man they said had harassed or attacked them, fear of retaliation or social ostracism led most of them to remain anonymous or not name the attacker. Critics said this raised questions about whether the accusations would result in criminal prosecutions. |
| Ana G. González, 29, who works as a political communications consultant and defines herself as a feminist, set in motion the explosion of accusations when she tweeted on March 21 that a writer, whom she had named in another message as Herson Barona, had “beaten, manipulated, gaslighted, impregnated, and abandoned (on more than one occasion) more than 10 women.” | Ana G. González, 29, who works as a political communications consultant and defines herself as a feminist, set in motion the explosion of accusations when she tweeted on March 21 that a writer, whom she had named in another message as Herson Barona, had “beaten, manipulated, gaslighted, impregnated, and abandoned (on more than one occasion) more than 10 women.” |
| Ms. González said she had not been abused by Mr. Barona, but was speaking up on behalf of a close friend who said he had beaten her up a handful of years ago when they were in a relationship. | Ms. González said she had not been abused by Mr. Barona, but was speaking up on behalf of a close friend who said he had beaten her up a handful of years ago when they were in a relationship. |
| “I knew several women that were just too afraid and not ready to come forth, but allowed me to speak for them and name this person,” Ms. González said in an interview. | “I knew several women that were just too afraid and not ready to come forth, but allowed me to speak for them and name this person,” Ms. González said in an interview. |
| Mr. Barona rebutted the accusations on Twitter a day after they were made public. | Mr. Barona rebutted the accusations on Twitter a day after they were made public. |
| “I understand that there is a collective pain surrounding the real cases of so many beaten, raped and murdered women,” he said. “Unfortunately, in public scorn there is little space for discussion, clarity or conciliation.” | “I understand that there is a collective pain surrounding the real cases of so many beaten, raped and murdered women,” he said. “Unfortunately, in public scorn there is little space for discussion, clarity or conciliation.” |
| But the response to the initial online accusations was immediate. A wave of new charges followed under the hashtag #MeTooEscritores, which translates to #MeTooWriters. They were followed by accusations in film, academia, the nonprofit sector, business, law, theater, medicine, politics and more. | But the response to the initial online accusations was immediate. A wave of new charges followed under the hashtag #MeTooEscritores, which translates to #MeTooWriters. They were followed by accusations in film, academia, the nonprofit sector, business, law, theater, medicine, politics and more. |
| A network of female journalists, United Mexican Journalists, which was created last year to develop strategies to confront sexual violence and harassment in their industry, created their own Twitter account and hashtag — #MeTooJournalists. | A network of female journalists, United Mexican Journalists, which was created last year to develop strategies to confront sexual violence and harassment in their industry, created their own Twitter account and hashtag — #MeTooJournalists. |
| “We couldn’t do this alone,” said a founding member of the group, a journalist who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she said she feared reprisal by her employer. “The impunity in this country makes you face so many obstacles.” | “We couldn’t do this alone,” said a founding member of the group, a journalist who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she said she feared reprisal by her employer. “The impunity in this country makes you face so many obstacles.” |
| The women behind the journalism network said they would continue with their awareness campaign. They are also weighing whether to hand information about the most serious allegations of rape and assault to law enforcement authorities — which they would do only with the consent of the accuser — and whether to confront the top executives of the organizations where these attacks were reported to have taken place. | The women behind the journalism network said they would continue with their awareness campaign. They are also weighing whether to hand information about the most serious allegations of rape and assault to law enforcement authorities — which they would do only with the consent of the accuser — and whether to confront the top executives of the organizations where these attacks were reported to have taken place. |
| On Wednesday, the attorney general’s office in the state of Michoacán said in a statement that it was opening an investigation based on the information published on social media by the network of journalists, which “includes acts that Mexican laws consider as crimes.” | On Wednesday, the attorney general’s office in the state of Michoacán said in a statement that it was opening an investigation based on the information published on social media by the network of journalists, which “includes acts that Mexican laws consider as crimes.” |
| Because they said they lacked faith in the country’s legal system, several women said they felt social media was the perfect platform on which to speak out. The anonymity allows them to feel safe, they said, even if it makes the possibility of holding the men legally responsible very slim. | Because they said they lacked faith in the country’s legal system, several women said they felt social media was the perfect platform on which to speak out. The anonymity allows them to feel safe, they said, even if it makes the possibility of holding the men legally responsible very slim. |
| Even some members of United Mexican Journalists said they were afraid to speak openly, for fear of losing their jobs or suffering wider social retaliation. But the fear of going on the record was justified, analysts and activists said, given the levels of violence against women in Mexico, the record of impunity and the lack of accountability. | Even some members of United Mexican Journalists said they were afraid to speak openly, for fear of losing their jobs or suffering wider social retaliation. But the fear of going on the record was justified, analysts and activists said, given the levels of violence against women in Mexico, the record of impunity and the lack of accountability. |
| “Those who speak out in Mexico often become victims of isolation,” said Ms. Berman, the novelist. “They face a sort of social death, a silent punishment.” | “Those who speak out in Mexico often become victims of isolation,” said Ms. Berman, the novelist. “They face a sort of social death, a silent punishment.” |
| After Ms. González’s tweets went viral, she began to be harassed online. It was scary and exhausting, she said. | After Ms. González’s tweets went viral, she began to be harassed online. It was scary and exhausting, she said. |
| “I can’t eat or sleep,” she said. But she added that she would not have done anything differently. | “I can’t eat or sleep,” she said. But she added that she would not have done anything differently. |
| Almost a year ago, as the #MeToo movement was gathering momentum in the United States, Karla Souza, a Mexican actress starring in the American television show “How to Get Away With Murder,” spoke in an interview on CNN en Español about the abuse she said she had experienced at the hands of an unnamed director with whom she had worked on a different project. | Almost a year ago, as the #MeToo movement was gathering momentum in the United States, Karla Souza, a Mexican actress starring in the American television show “How to Get Away With Murder,” spoke in an interview on CNN en Español about the abuse she said she had experienced at the hands of an unnamed director with whom she had worked on a different project. |
| Ms. Souza said this director showed up in her room in the middle of the night to talk about a scene they were working on. In the interview, she said she had rejected his advances in the past. On that night, she said, he raped her. | Ms. Souza said this director showed up in her room in the middle of the night to talk about a scene they were working on. In the interview, she said she had rejected his advances in the past. On that night, she said, he raped her. |
| The trauma kept her from pressing charges or fully recovering from the experience, she said. | The trauma kept her from pressing charges or fully recovering from the experience, she said. |
| Although a few other women came forward after Ms. Souza’s account, it did not incite a broader movement in Mexico. She and the others were criticized for, among other things, not naming their aggressors — something analysts said could have dissuaded other women from speaking out. | Although a few other women came forward after Ms. Souza’s account, it did not incite a broader movement in Mexico. She and the others were criticized for, among other things, not naming their aggressors — something analysts said could have dissuaded other women from speaking out. |
| “When you see how these women have been treated publicly, it makes perfect sense many victims want to protect themselves by staying anonymous,” said Ms. González, the activist. “Let’s just hope this time it will be different.” | “When you see how these women have been treated publicly, it makes perfect sense many victims want to protect themselves by staying anonymous,” said Ms. González, the activist. “Let’s just hope this time it will be different.” |