Brenda Marisol Montañez Saucedo was leaving a gated residential community when she was abducted. After Montañez Saucedo was taken, CJNG contacted Villalpando demanding he replace Villa Hidalgo's current municipal Public Security Chief with a person of their choosing this was not the first time the criminal group had issued such a demand and two municipal workers under the same conditions They were released after agreeing to replace his security chief but Villalpando never followed through on the change Maydon canceled his scheduled performance at a regional fair that day reportedly attempted to resolve the narcomantas issue by meeting with cartel members in Tepatitlán the criminal group kidnapped him and later called his father he and two municipal workers were also kidnapped during the meeting The mayor was taken to a safe house in Tepatitlán where he met with a CJNG leader known as "El Charro," one of the main suspects in the January kidnapping and murder of Mexican businessman Ricardo Rodríguez Zamora "El Charro" accused Villalpando of favoring a rival criminal group and demanded that he replace his current municipal Public Security Chief the mayor received multiple calls on Wednesday and Friday pressuring him to replace his security chief Villalpando was informed that his wife had been kidnapped Montañez Saucedo had not been released Arturo had to leave the place where he grew up after a traumatic experience in Mexico now he has a new opportunity in North America By Nayeli Martín del Campo / @NinjeliSaya (X) / @naye_ye_ye (IG) a pseudonym used to protect the interviewee’s identity led him to make the most important decision of his life to immigrate to a new country in North America  Arturo is originally from Jalisco and at the age of 30 “I remember that we were on our way to Aguascalientes because we had a wedding it was the wedding of one of my cousins and we all went by car We didn’t think we were going to be kidnapped on the way We had no other intention than to have fun.”  Arturo and his family decided to take a route that would take them to Yahualica where they would buy clothes and some souvenirs for the future married couple they would be intercepted by a vehicle that would block their way to Aguascalientes “We had already heard that Teocaltiche was a dangerous place but we decided to go that way because the truth is that we were not in trouble we had no problems with anyone and it was the only route we had to cross from Yahualica to Villa Hidalgo we entrusted ourselves to God to get there safely In recent years the level of violence in the municipality of Teocaltiche Jalisco has increased due to the territorial dispute between cartels displacement of communities and kidnappings are some of the cases that have been registered in this place they closed in on us on one of the stretches of the highway and with guns in hand.They asked us to get out of our cars They covered our faces and took us to I don’t know where There they held us captive for several days It was a week where they beat us and tortured us to ask for information about someone else That’s when we realized that they had mistaken us for someone else” Arturo was one of the people who have been found alive According to the Registro Estatal de Personas Desaparecidas en Jalisco 5,464 were identified as women and  11,487 persons identified as men Not only the number of people deprived of their freedom is alarming 95.4% of the crimes investigated in Jalisco 100% of the cases related to forced disappearance and kidnapping remained without an effective resolution as well as 99.7% of those related to extortion and intentional homicides his relatives filed a complaint with the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office to begin an investigation with the hope of finding him alive Arturo assures that devotion saved his life Jude Thaddeus and after explaining to his captors that he was not who they thought and that he had no connection to his captors I still have nightmares even though I took therapy and everything because I really couldn’t even go out in the street because I was so scared that I had to move to another country or to another place where I could feel fulfilled Here I have found tranquility although sometimes I still have my moments of crisis I don’t think those will ever go away.”  it is not a place he would like to call home despite the increase of violence in Jalisco and different states of the Mexican Republic Insecurity rates in the country have exponentially increased the number of refugee applications in Canada 17% of the applications were made by Mexicans according to data from the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) the Immigration and Refugee Commission of Canada rejected 60% of them and 28,165 applications remained pending as of December 31 To apply for asylum as a refugee in Canada it is necessary to undergo various medical tests as well as provide personal and biometric information.n some cases there is a risk that if rejected the country could prohibit entry to Canada for the applicant and his family and even deportation “I am not sure I want to live here forever but also in Mexico I have all my family and although many people have told me that I might be able to apply to the refugee program There are many risks involved in applying for refugee status and I would not like to be deported” The wave of violence sweeping the country has had repercussions not only in the way people relate to each other according to the Summary of the Peace Index in Mexico the economic impact of violence in the country was 4.9 trillion pesos which equates to 19.8% of the national GDP The same report states that during 2023 alone the number of missing persons reached a new high reaching 12,000 cases.29.1% of which identified as women the highest percentage ever reported in Mexican history Arturo currently lives with his family in Canada and works in the construction industry Although he performs activities he never thought he would do he has found a peace in this country that he never thought he could Global Sisters Report a project of National Catholic Reporter Sign up now María Angélica Agorta visits with a woman in her home in Villa Hidalgo View Author Profile Follow on Twitter at @soli_salgado eight have been put into foster homes over the years as a result of her and her partner's drug dealing for which they were ultimately imprisoned several years ago she negotiated a brief release in November 2020 to give birth while under house arrest and leave her baby at home in her Buenos Aires villa opting to live like a fugitive and gamble life behind bars if she's found For the Passionist Sisters who regularly meet women like Gaby in Villa Hidalgo navigating the art of accompaniment can feel like a minefield learning through trial and error how to initiate meaningful conversations that eventually yield trusting relationships visits with a woman in her home in Villa Hidalgo outside Buenos Aires the abuse a woman suffers is more visible" in the form of bruises from domestic violence María Angélica Algorta and Buruchaga and the residents of the villa began as most Argentine relationships do: chatting while drinking mate Entering the villas of Buenos Aires as an unaccompanied outsider is commonly discouraged; for most of the population driving past the stack of tin houses peeping above the highway is the closest they may ever get The ticket into Villa Hidalgo for Algorta and Buruchaga (who live in the suburb of San Martín a five-minute drive from the villa) was a young woman who sought their help: Her cousin was about to attempt suicide by throwing herself onto the nearby train tracks the sisters continued returning to the villa with the woman walking the unpaved roads together and stopping for conversations as they slowly became familiar faces While Buruchaga and Algorta are the only two ministering in Villa Hidalgo their fellow sisters throughout the city carry on similar work in their nearby villas "We are Passionist because we accompany the passion of men and women especially the most neglected," Buruchaga said the most neglected are the women of the villa." and Florencia Buruchaga have spent their entire religious lives living with people on the margins but began ministering to the residents of Villa Hidalgo outside Buenos Aires The sisters find inspiration in Fr. José María di Paola, a friend of Pope Francis who's known as "Padre Pepe" throughout Argentina Padre Pepe and his team have established spaces throughout the country over the last 20 years with a focus on addiction or those affected by it The ministry welcomes young people from the streets with hopes of helping them address their issues and "preparing them to return to the streets — that is their environment — and hopefully transform their families But of Argentina's roughly 150 Homes of Christ there is always a child," and therefore women are more "complex" to help whereas when a man wants to do a treatment But the woman doesn't have that possibility because she has to take care of the children A family gathers outside their home in Villa Hidalgo linked with Padre Pepe's team and resources aimed to create a space similar to a Home of Christ for the women of the villa: Project Dignity They would need help from local women to get started When they knocked on the door of the villa's Caacupé Chapel the eventual site of their community space They asked her if she and the women needed help and accompaniment Barreto moved to Buenos Aires from Asuncíón in 1999 "with only the clothes on my back," she said along with her then-toddler daughter and her partner at the time Barreto is the emblem of a villa woman: The Paraguayan immigrant works as a domestic maid is married to a builder and lives with two of her three children (ages 12 "The villa needs a lot of companionship because so many women live badly both economically and emotionally from abuse and violence," she said adding that local children also become victims of violence La hermana pasionista María Angélica Algorta en el exterior de una vivienda en Villa Hidalgo Exterior de la Capilla de Caacupé en Villa Hidalgo ha funcionado en la villa como un espacio comunitario donde las mujeres y los niños se reúnen para merendar y jugar Las Hermanas Pasionistas esperan ampliar la sala trasera para incluir una cocina un baño y más privacidad para la psicóloga Muchos argentinos que viven en las villas de los alrededores de Buenos Aires son cartoneros aquellos que recogen cartón y otros materiales para intercambiarlos por dinero Un hombre se asoma a la puerta de su vivienda A su lado hay un carro que los cartoneros utilizan para recoger cartón y otros materiales para cambiarlos por pequeñas cantidades de dinero Se sabe que los políticos intentan captar a los votantes de las villas con regalos recibieron estos depósitos de agua que llegaron vacíos Barreto volunteers with two other women in the backroom of the chapel to hand out food and snacks to the children of Hidalgo and nearby villas but they also find peace where they know they'll be cared for," she said Before the sisters appeared at the chapel door to ask how they could help we're supported in every sense": The sisters help them acquire food and oversee the construction of the chapel's communal space that there are people who are invested in their well-being that someone is interested in what happens to them that there are people who are aware of what's going on in their lives," Barreto said 'This system does not allow one to grow as a person' Though engaging with individuals is important in renewing the women's sense of dignity the Passionist Sisters say the issue is systemic as Argentina's welfare system has perpetuated generational poverty by not giving people who live in poverty any incentive to work Buruchaga and Algorta said those in the villas tend to fall in one of two categories: immigrants from Paraguay or Bolivia most of whom arrive motivated to find work and pay and Argentine families who have lived in poverty for multiple generations many of whom have never known a family member to hold a job because they have long depended on substantial government checks "If you talk to some people in confidence and ask them how much they earn with all their welfare checks, they earn much more than a person who works an official job eight hours a day," Buruchaga said, noting that this also creates resentment among the struggling middle class "Federal assistance essentially deteriorates motivation to work." "This system does not allow one to grow as a person," Algorta said "It doesn't respect their dignity because a system that respects a person's dignity would provide education children from the villa's elementary schools can barely read and high school graduates achieve elementary standards in some cases "not even enough education to become a cashier." were intentional in not making their presence about handouts; rather those they minister to come to appreciate the dignity of work on their own Then there's the pervasiveness of drugs: Algorta and Buruchaga estimate that for every 10 houses in Villa Hidalgo cocaine, nevado (marijuana laced with cocaine) and paco (a combination of crack residue But most resort to dealing drugs "because it's easy money "They don't realize how hard it is to get out that there's always a cost to getting involved." saying most people "get involved in drugs out of necessity and from a place of pain." Florencia Buruchaga said it's a misconception to think everyone who lives in the villas are thieves or are all violent María Angélica Agorta are always treated with respect when strolling through the neighborhoods A man adds color to Villa Hidalgo with his garden in front of his home The quality of homes in the villas surrounding Buenos Aires One of the main roads running through Villa Hidalgo One of Project Dignity's increasingly popular resources is Susana Orlandi a clinical psychologist with experience working in prisons The sisters recruited her to make weekly trips to the villa, where she hosts individual 30-minute sessions pro bono in the chapel's backroom and other conflicts in the home are typically the issues Orlandi hears from the women "They've opened up a lot over time," Orlandi said so much so that she recently increased her visits to twice a week so she can see more women "One of my ideas [for Project Dignity] is to create a women's group so they can support and listen to each other in group therapy," Orlandi said Though the women come to her with different problems "feeling alone" is at the heart of their concerns "The differences I do notice with my private patients are the resources and tools they lack to advance their life and better themselves," Orlandi said just having a space where they can feel heard is invaluable "the effects are like a waterfall on their children and grandchildren." Barreto said she dreams of greater outreach in the community and hopes they can "build a bigger team" to be able to do more throughout the villa especially for the children who lack good role models "To change the lives [of those in the villa] — especially in just a year — is hard," Barreto said But if there's accompaniment and interest in them the sisters hope to one day sell their home in neighboring San Martín and move to the villa to be closer with the poor "not just economically," Buruchaga said *Global Sisters Report is not using Gaby's last name to protect her privacy then enter your email address and click "subscribe" Global Sisters Report This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page she negotiated a brief release in November 2020 to give birth while under house arrest and leave her baby at home in her Buenos Aires villa For the Passionist Sisters who regularly meet women like Gaby in Villa Hidalgo The sisters find inspiration in Fr. José María di Paola, a friend of Pope Francis who's known as "Padre Pepe" throughout Argentina María Angélica Agorta outside a home in Villa Hidalgo has served as a communal space in the villa where women and children gather for snacks and playtime The Passionist Sisters hope to expand the backroom to include a kitchen bathroom and additional privacy for the psychologist Many Argentines who live in the villas surrounding Buenos Aires are cartoneros those who collect cardboard and other materials to trade for cash A man looks out the front door of his home Beside him is a cart that cartoneros use to collect cardboard and other materials to trade for small sums of money Politicians are known to court voters in the villas with gifts — in one case Buruchaga and Algorta said those in the villas tend to fall in one of two categories: immigrants from Paraguay or Bolivia "If you talk to some people in confidence and ask them how much they earn with all their welfare checks, they earn much more than a person who works an official job eight hours a day," Buruchaga said, noting that this also creates resentment among the struggling middle class Florencia Buruchaga said it's a misconception to think everyone who lives in the villas are thieves or are all violent A street in Villa Hidalgo (GSR photo/Soli Salgado) The sisters recruited her to make weekly trips to the villa where she hosts individual 30-minute sessions pro bono in the chapel's backroom Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Widely acknowledged among the greatest congueros of his generation first taking up the drums five years later The son of the noted percussionist Jose “Mañengue” Hidalgo he was educated in Latin rhythms from childhood onward and as a teen regularly walked to local gigs with his congas strapped to his back He soon caught the attention of the legendary Dizzy Gillespie touring in his United Nations All-Star Orchestra for four years Hidalgo also became a noted session player Paul Simon and Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum project Villa Hidalgo; Worldwide followed a year later 1997’s Hands of Rhythm collaboration with pianist Michel Camilo earned Hidalgo a Grammy nomination in the Best Latin Jazz Album category His Greatest Hits collection followed the next year Berklee College of Music presented an honorary doctor of music degree to Giovanni Hidalgo in 2010 Hidalgo taught in Berklee’s percussion department from 1992-1996 * Conga Masters: Changuito and Giovanni Duets (Alfred Publishing, 1995)* Conga Virtuoso: Giovanni Hidalgo (Warner Brothers Classics Please enter an answer in digits:17 + 17 = Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.