ROMANTIC LOVE DIES IN MEXICO CITY

The Citizen Council dedicates its Day of the Dead offering to raise awareness about attitudes and behaviors that normalize violence

To honor the value of free, respectful and equal love relationships, and deconstruct sexist attitudes and macho behaviors in the couple, the Citizen Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City dedicated an offering to romantic love.

Within the framework of the Day of the Dead celebrations, the Council created an altar dedicated to all those couples who, due to the normalization of gender violence, experienced situations of control, aggression or mistreatment that prevented their full and harmonious development.

“The goal of this offering is to make visible different macho and aggressive attitudes that are exalted in different times and contexts. However, we also honor all those couples who suffered from romantic love, because they taught us to resignify it and transform it towards a perspective of rights, respect and freedom,” said Salvador Guerrero Chiprés, President of the Council.

According to data from the Council, in 10 months of this year the number of attentions provided due to family violence has doubled, compared to last year. In 2020, 2,293 were registered and this year there are 4,568.

96% of these reports are made by women and in 80% of the cases the aggressor is the partner, ex-partner or spouse, so the offering is also addressed, mainly, to them.

The Council's data indicate that 24% of those who suffer aggressions do not report them because they feel insecure or are unaware of the process, 16% for fear of retaliation from the aggressor and 9% for emotional attachment.

In "Claves feministas para la negociación en el amor" ("Feminist Keys to Negotiation in Love"), the anthropologist and researcher Marcela Lagarde points out that we have accepted the concept of "romantic love" as a universal, ahistorical, immutable, eternal feeling. However, it is important to work on a negotiation of love, in search of building and educating in "new" equal, free and democratic ways of loving.

This year, at the Centros de Recuperación Emocional (Emotional Recovery Centers), the Council has provided therapy to 148 people for family violence, with the aim of accompanying them in their empowerment process, improving their self-esteem, deconstructing preconceived ideas about love and getting them out of the circle of violence they are immersed in.

Guerrero Chiprés recalled that the Council maintains an alliance with institutions such as the Secretariat for Women, as well as organizations such as the Institute of AntiHegemonic Masculinities, to help all those who put their physical and emotional integrity at risk.

The Citizen Council offers free psychological and legal care, 24/7, in any part of the country, through the Woman and Family Line and the Trust Chat 55 5533 5533, as well as the Facebook Messenger chatbot, Adelita Sindelito.