For years, the Mexican government has been responsible for the forced sterilization of indigenous people in rural communities. Using a variety of threats and versions of blackmail, such as promising to suspend social programs necessary to their survival, Mexico’s government has sterilized their communities.
This well-known practice has been denounced by social-rights groups for decades, achieving widespread relevance near the end of 2001 when the movement sparked national and international interest. The method by which they achieve sterilization varies according to the particular case they are dealing with.
A constant, however, is that those responsible are always made up of personnel working for the government’s Health Institute. One of the most reported cases took place in 1998 in Guerrero when 14 males were subject to a sterilization process against their will.
After promises that the government would build a community clinic with a local doctor and medicine, as well as provide food, clothing, drapings, living quarters and scholarships for their children, they agreed to have the procedure done. The Government Health officials provided the sterilization, but left the clinic and promise to provide aid unfulfilled.
Buses of up to 20 women would be driven to an Acapulco clinic and they’d all come back sterilized. There was a case in which right in the middle of giving birth a patient was given papers to sign her compliance on having an intrauterine device (DIU) placed, which was placed regardless after she declined.
Another woman’s fallopian tubes were cut in very much the same manner. Government response to this sort of claim always consists of denying everything, going so far as claiming how no action has been taken against indigenous folk and how they’ll take matters into their own hands if they find anyone who is responsible for that kind of behavior.
Forced sterilization is a crime against humanity and a violation of basic human rights, leaning towards genocide.
This article was inspired by CLTRACLCTVA // La práctica del gobierno mexicano de esterelizar a los indígenas contra su voluntad