An influential Hispanic civic group has called on authorities to investigate the death of a Mexican-American soldier who her family says was sexually harassed at a US Army base. USAwhere a similar death occurred in 2020.
20 year old military Ana Basaldua Ruiz was found dead on March 13 in her room at Fort Hood, the largest military base in Texas, the army said in a statement.
“We … are concerned by her family’s reports that her daughter has been repeatedly sexually harassed,” Analuise Tapia, Killeen County Director of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said in English. A group of Latin American activists in USA.
Tapia and other members of the group read the statement at a press conference on Friday before fort hood basein North Austin.
“LULAC demands an immediate, full and transparent investigation into these allegations. This investigation needs to start now,” Tapia said, stressing that it should be carried out by an “outside body” and not the military.
This was reported by the mother of the victim, Alejandra Ruiz. Telemundo that her daughter told her that “the sergeant molested her” and that she was being followed.
She added that she was officially informed that her daughter “hung herself”, a version that she does not believe.
Basaldua, a naturalized Mexican American, lived with her father in Long Beach. Californiabefore being drafted into the army.
“Supposedly, they took it as a suicide, nothing more, and that they were going to start an investigation,” his father Baldo Basaldua said in the same publication.
In a second statement Thursday, the base’s press office said the soldier’s death “does not show any signs of violence” against her and that investigators are working to “gather all the evidence and facts to find out exactly what happened.”
“Information related to any potential harassment will be fully reviewed and investigated,” he adds.
Background
A similar death has already occurred at the same base in 2020. Serviceman Vanessa Guillenalso a 20-year-old Mexican-American was found murdered after being accused of sexual harassment.
Guillén disappeared in April 2020 and his mutilated body was found two months later near the base.
A dozen officers were fired after his death amid demonstrations demanding an end to impunity for sexual harassment at military installations.
President of the United States Joe Biden, signed a decree in early 2022 making sexual harassment in the military a crime. (AFP)
Source: RPP
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