Lydia María Cacho Ribeiro (born 12 April 1963) is a Mexican journalist,

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

, and human rights activist. Described by

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and s ...

as "perhaps Mexico's most famous investigative journalist and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...

advocate", Cacho's reporting focuses on violence against and

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

of women and children. Her book ''Los Demonios del Edén'' (in English: ''The Demons of Eden'') (2004) created a nationwide

scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...

by alleging that several prominent businessmen had conspired to protect a

pedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty ...

ring. In 2006, a tape emerged of a conversation between businessman

Kamel Nacif Borge José Kamel Nacif Borge (born 1946 in Mexico City) is a Mexican businessman of Lebanese descent known in his country as "El Rey de la Mezclilla" (the Denim King). Once considered one of the richest men in Mexico,. He started out as a small merc ...

and Mario Plutarco Marín Torres, governor of

Puebla Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...

, in which they conspired to have Cacho beaten and

raped Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or agai ...

for her reporting. Marín Torres was arrested for the alleged torture on 3 February 2021. Cacho is the winner of numerous international awards for her journalism, including the Civil Courage Prize, the Wallenberg Medal, and the

Olof Palme Prize The Olof Palme Prize is an annual Swedish prize awarded for an outstanding achievement in the spirit of Olof Palme. The Prize consists of a diploma and 100,000 US dollars. The prize was established in February 1987 and is awarded by the Olof Palm ...

. In 2010, she was named a

World Press Freedom Hero International Press Institute World Press Freedom Heroes are individuals who have been recognized by the Vienna-based International Press Institute for "significant contributions to the maintenance of press freedom and freedom of expression" and ...

of the

International Press Institute International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. The institution was founded by 34 editors from 15 countries at Columbia University ...

Background

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro was born in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

to a mother of French-Portuguese origin who moved from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

to Mexico during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and a Mexican engineer father. Cacho attributed her refusal to compromise to her mother, who was shocked by what she called Mexicans' willingness to "negotiate their dignity in exchange for apparent freedom". Her mother also taught her social awareness by taking Cacho along for

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

community projects into poor neighborhoods. Cacho credits her father with teaching her discipline and toughness. Cacho lived briefly in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

as a young woman, studying at

the Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

and working as a maid. At age 23, she nearly died from

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

. After her recovery, she began working for

Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...

newspapers, writing arts and entertainment stories. However, guided by her mother's

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

, Cacho soon began writing about violence against women. Shortly afterwards, in 1999, she was assaulted and raped by a man in a

bus station A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is ...

bathroom who broke several of her bones. Cacho believes that the attack was a retaliation for her investigations. She continued her investigations, however, and the following year founded a shelter for

battered women Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...

''Los Demonios del Edén''

In 2003, Cacho wrote articles on the sexual abuse of minors for the newspaper '' Por Esto'' including a note on a girl abused by a local hotel owner,

Jean Succar Kuri Jean Thouma Hannah Succar Kuri (born September 19, 1944, in Bsharri, Lebanon) is a Lebanese-born Mexican businessman convicted of child pornography and child sexual abuse in Cancún, Quintana Roo. He was sentenced to 112 years in prison on Augus ...

. Feeling that the local police had failed to act on the girl's complaint, the following year, Cacho published the book ''Los Demonios del Edén'' (in English: " ''Demons of Eden''") in which she accuses Kuri of being involved in a ring of

child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a ...

and prostitution, based on official statements from his alleged victims and even a video of him (filmed with

hidden camera A hidden camera or spy camera is a camera used to photograph or record subjects, often people, without their knowledge. The camera may be considered "hidden" because it is not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another obj ...

). The book also mentions important politicians

Emilio Gamboa Patrón Emilio Antonio Gamboa Patrón (born 23 August 1950) is a Mexican politician affiliated with the PRI. He was Senator during the 2000–2003 and 2003–2006 Legislatures and deputy during the LX Legislature and the LXII Legislature of the Mexica ...

and Miguel Ángel Yunes as involved, and accuses

, a

businessman, of protecting Succar Kuri. After the book's release, Cacho was arrested in Cancún by Puebla police and driven back to Puebla, 900 miles away. Cacho has stated that the arresting officers verbally abused her and hinted there was a plan to rape her. She was then imprisoned for a short time on

defamation Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...

charges before being released on bail. On 14 February 2006, several telephone conversations between Nacif Borge and Mario Marín, governor of the state of Puebla, were revealed by the

daily ''

La Jornada ''La Jornada'' (''The Working Day'') is one of Mexico City's leading daily newspapers. It was established in 1984 by Carlos Payán Velver. The current editor ''(directora general)'' is Carmen Lira Saade. ''La Jornada'' has presence in eight sta ...

''. In these conversations, before Cacho's arrest, Marín and Nacif Borge discussed putting Cacho in jail as a favour, and having her beaten and abused while in jail to silence her. The recording sparked widespread calls for Marín to be impeached. Cacho took the case of her arrest to the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

, becoming the first woman in Mexico's history to testify there. On 29 November 2007, the Court ruled 6 to 4 that Marín had no case to answer in Cacho's arrest, jailing and harassment, a case that ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' described as "a setback for journalistic freedom in Mexico". The

United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...

advised her to leave the country, recommended that she seek

political asylum The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another entit ...

in another country, and offered her legal assistance and assistance in gaining access to international courts. While being held, Cacho was granted the ''Premio Francisco Ojeda al Valor Periodístico'' ( Francisco Ojeda Award for Journalistic Courage). In May 2008, a few days before she was scheduled to testify at Kuri's trial, Cacho was almost killed when the lug nuts on one of her car's wheels were loosened.

Reporting on Femicides in Ciudad Juárez

In 2006, Cacho reported on the hundreds of female homicides in

Ciudad Juárez Ciudad Juárez ( ; ''Juarez City''. ) is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is commonly referred to as Juárez and was known as El Paso del Norte (''The Pass of the North'') until 1888. Juárez is the seat of the Ju� ...

. In 2020, Cacho was the host and executive producer of a bilingual podcast produced by Imperative Entertainment and Blue Guitar about the

femicide Femicide or feminicide is a hate crime which is broadly defined as "the intentional killing of women or girls because they are female," but definitions of it vary depending on cultural context. In 1976, the feminist author Diana E. H. Russel ...

in Juárez. The podcast was released in English a
The Red Note
and in Spanish a
La Nota Roja
A documentary on the same topic, entitled "Flowers of the Desert: Stories from the Red Note," is scheduled to be released by Imperative Entertainment in 2021.

Awards and honors

In 2007, Lydia Cacho received the

Ginetta Sagan Award for Women and Children's Rights, the

IWMF The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), located in Washington, D.C., is an organization working internationally to elevate the status of women in the media. The IWMF has created programs to help women in the media develop practical so ...

(International Women's Media Foundation) Courage in Journalism Award, and the

Oxfam Novib/PEN Award Oxfam Novib/PEN Award for Freedom of Expression is a literary award made in collaboration with PEN International Writers in Prison Committee, the PEN Emergency Fund, and Oxfam Novib (the Dutch affiliate of the international Oxfam organization). ...

. The following year, she received the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. In 2009, Cacho was awarded the Wallenberg Medal from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

for her work to bring to public attention to the corruption that shields criminals who exploit women and children. Cacho was a recipient of the PEN/Pinter Prize as an International Writer of Courage in 2010, which goes to writers persecuted for their beliefs. She was also named a

of the

. A year later, Cacho received The International

Hrant Dink Hrant Dink ( hy, Հրանդ Տինք; Western ; 15 September 1954 – 19 January 2007) was a Turkish-Armenian intellectual, editor-in-chief of ''Agos'', journalist and columnist. As editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspa ...

Award, presented to people who work for a world free of

discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of Racial discrimination, r ...

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...

and

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

, take personal risks for their ideals, use the language of

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

and by doing so, inspire and encourage others. She also won the Civil Courage Prize of The Train Foundation, which she shared with Triveni Acharya for efforts against "

sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the ...

, domestic violence and child pornography", and the

together with

Roberto Saviano Roberto Saviano (; born 22 September 1979) is an Italian writer, essayist, journalist, and screenwriter. In his writings, including articles and his book '' Gomorrah'', he uses literature and investigative reporting to tell of the economic reali ...

. In 2017, Cacho was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for the Defense of Human Rights by the Inter-American Dialogue.

Publications

As of 2018, Lydia Cacho has written twelve books, ranging from poetry to fiction, and including a Manual to prevent

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...

, essays on

gender Gender is the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity and masculinity and differentiating between them. Depending on the context, this may include sex-based social structures (i.e. gender roles) and gender identity. Most culture ...

issues and love, and her international best sellers about

Sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the ...

, Human

Slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and the

relationship between child pornography and child sexual abuse A range of research has been conducted examining the link between viewing child pornography and perpetration of child sexual abuse, and much disagreement persists regarding whether a causal connection has been established. Perspectives fall into one ...

like ''Slavery Inc.: The Untold Story of International Sex Trafficking'', published in the U.K. Her books have been translated into French, English, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, German, Croatian, Swedish, and Turkish. * 2003, '' Muérdele al corazón / Bite the heart '', DEMAC, Spanish, * 2007, '' Esta boca es mía…y tuya también / This mouth is mine… and Yours too'' '', Planeta Mexicana, Spanish, * 2009, '' Con mi hij@ NO / With my child NO '', Debolsillo , Spanish, * 2010, '' Esclavas del Poder: Trata sexual / Slaves Of Power '', Grijalbo Mondadori, Spanish, * 2010, '' Los demonios del Edén / The Demons of Eden '', Debolsillo, Spanish, * 2013, '' El silencio es nuestro / The silence is ours '', Artes de México y del Mundo, Spanish, * 2014, '' Slavery Inc.: The Untold Story of International Sex Trafficking '',

Soft Skull Press Counterpoint LLC was a publishing company distributed by Perseus Books Group launched in 2007. It was formed from the consolidation of three presses: Perseus' Counterpoint Press, Avalon Publishing Group's Shoemaker & Hoard and the independent S ...

, English, * 2015, '' En busca de Kayla / In search of Kayla '', Lydia Cacho y Patricio Betteo, Editorial Sexto Piso, ilustrado, Spanish, * 2016, '' Infamy '', Soft Skull Press, English, * 2016, '' La ira de México / The wrath of Mexico '', Editorial Debate, Spanish, * 2017, '' The sorrows of Mexico '', Maclehose Press, English, * 2017, '' Ciberespías al rescate: en busca de Sam / Cyberspies to the rescue: In search of Sam '', Spanish,

References

External links

Lydia Cacho's blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cacho, Lydia 1963 births Living people People from Mexico City Mexican feminist writers Mexican women writers Mexican people of Portuguese descent Mexican people of French descent Mexican human rights activists Women human rights activists Mexican women journalists Oxfam Novib/PEN Award winners