Altar garden in honor of Bety Cariño

Washington, DC--

Friends of Bety Cariño gathered on Mother's Day to create a small garden and altar designed to honor her life and to demand an end to the state sanctioned paramilitary violence which took her life.

If you're in DC please visit the altar. It's on 16th Street NW between Fuller and Harvard.

Who is Bety Cariño?

Alberta “Bety” Cariño Trujillo was assassinated by paramilitaries in rural Oaxaca on April 27, 2010. She was the executive director of CACTUS—Centro de Apoyo Comunitario Trabajando Unidos—Center for Community Support Working Together based out of Huajuápan de León, Oaxaca, Mexico. Her life and work were devoted to challenging the political, economic, and social structures that threatened the cultural and ecological integrity of her community in la Mixteca region of rural Oaxaca, Mexico. With love, faith and commitment, Bety’s daily routine confronted neoliberal socio-economic models, corporate corruption and political dynasties that have ripped apart la Mixteca with forced migration, industrialized agriculture and political violence. Bety was 37-years old and the mother of an 8-year old son and a 5-year old daughter.

Why honor her with an altar garden?

During her burial a mourner called out: "Que te quede claro, a Alberta no la vas a enterrar. La vamos a sembrar, porque es de las flores más bellas, y su ejemplo dará fruto. Be sure that we are not going to bury Alberta. We are going to plant her because she is of the most beautiful flowers, and her example will bear fruit.”

Why install the altar garden at the Mexican Cultural Institute?

Bety Cariño is a true modern-day revolutionary who fought relentlessly to uphold and support the many cultures of the Mixteca region.

How can you help?

This altar garden honors Bety Cariño and is hopefully a lasting reminder that there are communities all over the world that support the struggle for cultural and political autonomy in Oaxaca. You’re invited to contribute to the altar whether you knew Bety or not. Your contribution is a demonstration of solidarity and a symbol that the spirit of Bety Cariño will not be forgotten. Her struggle lives on.

For more information about how to get involved:

http://cactusoaxaca.wordpress.com/

http://elenemigocomun.net

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming

--Pablo Neruda