Category: Latin America

The amber trail: Mining in Chiapas

Amber is one of the main sources of income in the small city of San Cristobal de las Casas in the southern state of Chiapas in Mexico. It is also one of the lesser known precious stones. Just by walking through the city, it is clear how many people rely on amber to make a living. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a sustainable living from the amber trade, a fossilized resin which takes millions of years to develop.
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Current reflections: Sexual violence in Mexico

In Mexico, 44 percent of women have been under some sort of sexual attack, from unwanted touching to rape. Due to the stigma attached to the victims, sexual assaults are under-reported crimes in Mexico. It is estimated that only 15-20 percent of sex crimes against women are reported. Of those, only five percent go to trial. Four women that survived sexual violence share their stories to contribute to stop the one-case-every-four-minutes recurring violence against women in Mexico.
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