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

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

, 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 that it has more than ten million members a ...

as "perhaps Mexico's most famous investigative journalist and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), 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 c ...

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

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...

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 a ...

by alleging that several prominent businessmen had conspired to protect a

pedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled 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 pube ...

ring. In 2006, a tape emerged of a conversation between businessman Kamel Nacif Borge and Mario Plutarco Marín Torres, governor of

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

, in which they conspired to have Cacho beaten and

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

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. In 2010, she was named a World Press Freedom Hero of the International Press Institute.

Background

Lydia Cacho Ribeiro was born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

to a mother of French- Portuguese origin who moved from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to Mexico during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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 continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...

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

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

as a young woman, studying at the Sorbonne and working as a maid. At age 23, she nearly died from

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), 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 fa ...

. After her recovery, she began working for

Cancún Cancún is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat of the municipality of Benito J ...

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

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

, 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, bus depot, or bus interchange is a structure where city buses or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. A bus station is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can st ...

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.

''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. 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 abbreviated as CP, also called child porn or kiddie porn, and child sexual abuse material, known by the acronym CSAM (underscoring that children can not be deemed willing participants under law)), is Eroticism, erotic ma ...

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 obje ...

). The book also mentions important politicians Emilio Gamboa Patrón and Miguel Ángel Yunes as involved, and accuses Kamel Nacif Borge, 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 a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...

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. As of 2006 it had approximately 287,000 ...

''. 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 In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. 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'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

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

United Nations Human Rights Council The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 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 United Nations Regional Gro ...

advised her to leave the country, recommended that she seek

political asylum The right of asylum, sometimes called right of political asylum (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereignty, sovereign authority, such as a second country or ...

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 ( , ; "Juárez City"), commonly referred to as just Juárez (Lipan language, Lipan: ''Tsé Táhú'ayá''), is the most populous city in the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Mexican state of Chihuahua (state), Chihuahua. It was k ...

. 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 the intentional murder of women or girls because of their gender.Shalva Weil, "Femicide Across Europe: Research and prevention of femicide across Europe". Research Gate, October 2018. In domestic fields, 50% percent o ...

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 (International Women's Media Foundation) Courage in Journalism Award, and the Oxfam Novib/PEN Award. 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 The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

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 World Press Freedom Hero of the International Press Institute. A year later, Cacho received The International Hrant Dink Award, presented to people who work for a world free of

discrimination Discrimination is the process of making unfair or prejudicial distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong, such as race, gender, age, class, religion, or sex ...

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 (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

and

violence Violence is characterized as the use of physical force by humans to cause harm to other living beings, or property, such as pain, injury, disablement, death, damage and destruction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines violence a ...

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

peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...

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. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Se ...

, domestic violence and child pornography", and the Olof Palme Prize together with Roberto Saviano. In 2017, Cacho was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for the Defense of Human Rights by the

Inter-American Dialogue The Inter-American Dialogue (Spanish and Portuguese: ''Diálogo Interamericano''), also known as the Dialogue or IAD, is a U.S.-based think tank in the field of international affairs primarily related to the Western Hemisphere. Headquartered in ...

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 abuse, physical, child sexual abuse, sexual, emotional and/or psychological abuse, psychological maltreatment or Child neglect, neglect of a child, especially by a p ...

, essays on

gender Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender. Although gender often corresponds to sex, a transgender person may identify with a gender other tha ...

issues and love, and her international best sellers about

Sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Se ...

, Human

Slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

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 on ...

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, 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 Activists from Mexico City Journalists from Mexico City Mexican feminist writers 21st-century Mexican women writers Mexican people of Portuguese descent Mexican people of French descent Mexican human rights activists Mexican women human rights activists Mexican women journalists Oxfam Novib/PEN Award winners