06/19/14 (written by feliciagomez) — This year marks the fifth anniversary of the ABC Daycare fire in Hermosillo, Sonora that left 49 children dead and more than 70 injured. To commemorate the tragedy, more than 500 people took to the streets of Mexico City on June 5, 2014, demanding justice for the victims and calling on the government to take more action. The fire initially started in a warehouse owned by the Government of Sonora on June 5, 2009, spreading to the ABC Daycare center that operated as part of the Mexican Institute of Social Security (Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, IMSS).
Activists gathered this month at the Angel of Independence statute in Mexico City to begin the silent march towards the city’s main plaza, Zócalo. The June 5th Movement (Movimiento 5 de Julio) organized the marchers, who all dressed in black and carried signs, balloons, and pictures of the 49 children who passed away in the fire. They also placed the children’s pictures in front of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s offices at the National Palace, claiming that Peña Nieto has not brought those responsible for the fire to justice. Julio Márquez, a parent of one of the deceased children, stated “Peña Nieto made a promise during his electoral campaign that he would clear up [this] case, and he never did. There has definitely not been justice.” He added, “At five years we are not the same; [we are] worse than before.” Mexican actress Eréndira Ibarra also commented on the lack of justice for families arguing, “…if there’s no justice for these children, there’s no justice for Mexico. How can we advance as a country leaving these 49 babies forgotten?”
Meanwhile, the public’s frustration with the slow moving judicial processes remains. In a recent public opinion survey, Parametría found that 33% of Mexicans believe the ABC Daycare workers are to blame for the daycare tragedy, while another 21% say IMSS workers, 15% the federal government, and 14% the state government. These numbers differ slightly from Parametría’s 2012 survey, where it found 32% believed the daycare workers were responsible, 27% the IMSS workers, 18% the federal government, and 12% the state government. Meanwhile, 80% of those surveyed in 2014 believe justice has not been served in the case, down from 86% in 2012. Parametría also found that while 94% of those polled in 2012 knew about the ABC Daycare fire, only 84% had knowledge of it in 2014. Lastly, this year’s survey found that 43% of those surveyed believe protection measures for civilians in public and private daycares nationwide have remained the same since the 2009 fire, while 26% believe they have improved, and 15% say they have gotten worse. Mexican political analyst Denise Dresser recently commented on this last point, expressing her frustration with the government’s lack of action. “And today, after the deaths of 49 children, we are in a country where nothing ever happens. And today, after more than 76 children are injured, we are in a country where nothing ever happens,” she continued. “And today, after more than 1,400 childcare facilities in which only 14% comply with the requirements of law, we are a country where nothing ever happens.”
Although reports differ on the number of individuals held responsible for the fire, it is clear the government has been very slow in processing those involved. For its part, CNN México reports that 22 people have been arrested in connection, though none of them have been prosecuted or sentenced. Meanwhile, Mexico Voices writes that, “Of a total of 19 officials initially involved [in the fire] according to the Mexican Supreme Court, all have been exonerated.” Mexico’s Supreme Court (Suprema Corte de Justicia Nacional, SCJN) did rule in 2010 that although there were “grave human rights violations” in the ABC Daycare fire, no current or former public officials were responsible, thus leaving the case largely at a standstill.
Sources:
Alcántara, Liliana. “Familias realizan vigilia en la Guardería ABC.” El Universal. June 5, 2014.
Fuentes, David. “CDHDF y padres recuerdan a niños de guardería ABC.” El Universal. June 5, 2014.
Dresser, Denise. “49 Tarjetas.” Reforma. June 9, 2014. English translation by Mexico Voices.
“Guardería ABC. Cinco años sin justicia.” Parametría. June 2014.
