Latin American women support call for justice

Dismayed by the murder of Andrea Bharatt, Latin American women in TT offered their support to her family and pledged to support, together with the women of TT, action to prevent violent crime.

Last Thursday, Bharatt's body was found in the Heights of Aripo, six days after she disappeared. Bharatt, 22, got into a car she thought was a taxi on King Street, Arima and never reached home.

Among the social-media networks of Venezuelans in TT, both Facebook and WhatsApp groups registered hundreds of comments.

Some women spoke to Newsday to express their condemnation of Bharatt's murder and to call for warning and prevention of further incidents.

Angélica Perdomo said: "Women in general are very sad because the violence against us continues. There have been several recent attacks against both local and immigrant women and that is worrying in this society."

Perdomo offered her support to Bharatt's family.

"We imagine the pain of her parents, seeing the corpse of her daughter in these conditions, we ask God to give them resignation and strength," she said.

Marianela González believes there should be a team communication effort between all women in TT.

"We must be united. The constant attacks do not look at nationality. That is why I am ready to support any initiative to protect everyone," she added.

González recalled that last year three Venezuelan women were victims of violence and that since then, South American women here have become more aware when taking to the streets.

On October 22, St James police found 32-year-old Johandrys Espinoza dead in a house in Flagstaff Hill, Long Circular Road, St James. Her ex-boyfriend, Cuban Aroldo Vidal Gutierrez, has been charged for her murder.

On September 6, the body of 32-year-old Johanna Díaz Sánchez was found in the cesspool at the back of her boyfriend's house on Santa Clara Road in Preysal. Calvin John Bahadur was charged with the murder.

On August 11, an 18-year-old Venezuelan woman who got into a taxi in Siparia to sell empanadas was abducted and stabbed. She was found alive off the SS Erin Road.

"It is necessary that the entire government system of TT initiate urgent measures to prevent more violent acts, not only against women, but also in general," said Gonzalez.

Carmen Bermúdez made some proposals.

"It is worrying that anyone with a vehicle can pretend to be a taxi driver, I think the government can apply the use of taxi signs on cars as it is done in the rest of the countries of the world," she said.

Bermúdez also asked for police surveillance points on the streets.