Feminist Organization Using Activism, Education to End Femicides in Puerto Rico

While protesting for justice with hundreds of people following the murders of Keishla Rodríguez Ortiz and Andrea Ruiz Costas, Alysa Alejandra Soto was transported back to protesting the death of Rosimar Rodríguez Gómez just months before.

“I prepared myself to have to go to the streets again to look for justice. I think that was the biggest feeling I had,” Soto, the founder of feminist organization Cara Al Sol, told Pero Make It Newsy.

In September, Rosimar was found dead days later after she was kidnapped from her home, El Nuevo Dia reported. Months later, gender violence continues to be a huge problem in Puerto Rico. 

On May 1, 26-year-old Keishla was allegedly murdered by boxer Félix Verdejo, who she was romantically involved with, Remezcla reported. Family members said Keishla was pregnant when she was killed. The day before Keishla’s murder, 35-year-old Andrea was allegedly killed by her ex-partner, who she had recently sought a court order against.

This year alone, there have been at least 21 femicides, according to the Puerto Rico Gender Equality Observatory. Last year, six transgender women were murdered in the U.S. territory. Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi declared a state of emergency in January and announced an executive order to help prevent gender-based violence, the Miami Herald reported. 

Soto’s organization, Cara Al Sol, wants to create a safe space for survivors to get the resources they need and educate communities on how to prevent gender-based violence. 

“We wanted to create a space that was not only safe for survivors but to educate people because we saw the need for education about this topic,” said Soto.

The organization was formed last year after dozens of women came forward and accused two prominent businessmen on the island of sexual harassment and assault. Julius Ortiz, owner of bathing suit company Pauwii swim, and Javier Marrero, who owns yachting party company Yatea.PR, allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted young women after inviting them to yacht parties and to try on swimwear, Latino Rebels reported.

Soto said the accusations were alarming and made her think about her own experiences with sexual harassment. The organization created a Twitter poll about sexual violence and, with their permission, published survivors’ testimonies about their own experiences anonymously. 

“We feel unsafe all the time and I did not realize that this was part of sexual violence. All my friends had a story with some guy that had assaulted them in some way,” Soto explained. “If it wasn’t for [this] wave of testimonies, maybe I wouldn’t have ever known. I realized that if I was so ignorant about this, there was a whole group of people that could be just as ignorant or more ignorant.”

Cara Al Sol joined activists and demonstrators last week to demand justice for Andrea and Keishla. Days after the protest, and more than 100 days after Pierlusi’s state of emergency declaration, the island’s Financial Oversight Management Board approved a $7 million request by the governor to fund programs to combat gender-based violence, ABC News reported. 

While this may be a step in the right direction, activists have said the PARE committee, an acronym in Spanish that means Prevention, Support, Rescue and Education of Gender Violence, has not met frequently enough to end femicides and gender violence on the island. 

Soto also pointed blame at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for not making the lives of missing or murdered women a priority, noting that it took authorities four days after Rosimar was kidnapped in front of her family to start searching for her. 

“When Rosmiar was murdered, the police took four days to go look for her. Four days that could’ve been spent looking for her and making sure she was safe. With Keishla we saw this whole mobilization because a famous boxer was involved,” Soto said. 

Soto encouraged others, specifically men, to engage in conversations with their friends and communities. She added that having conversations with children, especially about consent, can help combat gender violence. 

“Engage in conversations about what is happening and look for resources to get educated. That’s why we want this gender perspective curriculum because it all starts with education,” Soto told Pero Make It Newsy. “It all starts with teaching kids that they’re equal and that they have to respect each other.”