Armed with machete, oaxaca woman takes on neighborhood crime

If you see a steely-eyed, machete-wielding woman in the streets of Oaxaca city, don’t be afraid: she’s there to protect you, not hurt you. A 54-year-old La Noria resident who heads up the

community’s citizens’ committee has taken to the streets to clamp down on the crime that she says municipal police are failing to stop. “I’m the president of the residents’ committee in the

neighborhood of La Noria, and we [patrol] the streets because there is a lot of crime and there is no police vigilance. That’s why we’re working,” the woman, who only identified herself as

Laura, told the newspaper _Milenio_. Machete in hand, she walks through the streets of La Noria, located just outside Oaxaca city’s historic center, every day from early in the morning. Car

batteries and water meters are frequently targeted by thieves, and muggings are common, Laura said. “That is what is bothering us a lot; it makes us very angry,” she said. “… The municipal

police don’t patrol despite the complaints we made to Mayor Oswaldo García Jarquín,” she said. “… There are robberies almost every day,” she added. “… On Saturday, some people on motorcycles

grabbed a young woman and took her bag, cell phone and everything she was carrying. They shoved her as well.” Asked why she decided to arm herself with a machete, Laura responded that it

was a matter of coincidence. One day, she went to collect the blade from a person she had lent it to, and from that day on she began carrying the machete with her while patrolling the

streets. She said that carrying some kind of weapon is necessary because criminals are always armed with ice picks, knives or guns. Due to her courage and concern for the well-being of her

fellow residents, citizens have dubbed Laura “La Guerrera” (The Warrior), saying they admire and respect her for the work she does. _With reports from Milenio_