It was the moment everyone on the “Caravan of Solace” had been waiting for. Lined up along the sides of a bridge on the outskirts of Ciudad Juarez, hundreds of locals had gathered on Friday to welcome the convoy as it made its way into “the world’s most dangerous city.” As the long trail of buses and cars edged past hordes of people, supporters in this town on the U.S.-Mexican border screamed out “Justice” and held banners calling for an end to the war on drugs, which is estimated to have killed over 34,000 civilians since 2006 when President Felipe Caldern deployed over 10,000 soldiers countrywide to battle cartels. Relatives of family members who had been killed or had simply disappeared held photos of their lost ones and cried hysterically as they told their stories.
For the human rights activists crammed in the buses, it was an emotional moment. Over the course of six days, the caravan had made its way across the baking desert, through dangerous cartel-controlled territory, and had finally arrived safely in the city most affected by drug-related violence. The colorful group — including students, activists, clowns and anarchists — had held rallies in several cities across the country. Night after night, relatives of victims stood up on stages, many for the first time, to tell their stories of pain and suffering. To tearful crowds, they spoke of getting little assistance from officials and repeatedly asked questions which few can answer. Why was my husband murdered? Why did my daughter disappear? Why won’t authorities help us?
