SlutWalk in Latin America

[17][22][23][24] The Latin American protests shared the same purpose as those in other continents, but were additionally directed at local state authorities[17][25] and members of the Catholic church[26] whose public comments they saw as reinforcing gender stereotypes and a culture of violence against women.

[3] The Marcha das Vadias against the public spending for the visit of Pope Francis in Copacabana, Brazil, featured dissident Catholic groups marching among the protesters as well.

[10][11][31] Feminist deputy María José Lubertino, who participated in the protest, said: "Even though it started in a foreign country, this march helps us build a better citizenship and that is what pushes public policies forward.

The objective of the protest was to re-signify the word "puta" (equivalent for "slut", but also for "prostitute"), to take its violent power away so it cannot be used to cause harm, to favor the construction of a society where everyone is respected regardless of gender, sexual orientation or chosen lifestyle.

Rita González, other of the organizers, explained the march is framed in a wider range of "actions done during the whole year, to give legal assistance, emotional support and company to people who have been through difficult situations, which they begin to overcome in healing encounters where they can verbalize their pain."

La Marcha de las Putas is about getting actively involved in building a new reality, in which respect, recognition and effective equality between men and women prevail.

"[34] On November 19, 2013, La Marcha de las Putas participated among several other organizations in a wider protest to raise awareness on child sexual abuse.

Késia Salgado, organizer at Recife stated: "The march is to show that women will no longer be silent, that impunity will not happen; we live a social epidemic and have to reeducate ourselves.

(...) This matter falls within the axes of our movement, as well as the right to the body, the complaints about the rape cases that are increasing especially in Rio, and the formulation of public policies to protect women."

During the demonstrations women chanted things such as "Claudie Ferreria resists", referring and standing in solidarity to the black woman who was murdered and then dragged on the street attached to a Military Police Van in Rio de Janeiro.

[25][44] On February 25, 2012, the first Slutwalk was held with the name "La Marcha de las Putas" in the cities of Armenia, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, Manizales, Medellín, Pereira, the island of San Andrés, Villavicencio, Tunja, and Bogotá, gathering up to 2000 people in the country's capital, at Bolívar Square.

[45] On April 6, 2013, La Marcha de las Putas was held simultaneously in Bogotá, where over 1000 people attended, Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena, Manizales and Medellín.

According to Mar Candela, all fractions of society were represented in the march including Catholics, protestants, LGBT, atheists, artists, agnostics and krishnas, which allowed to treat the subject outside of the traditional feminist context.

Today, our feminist movement and the urban pedagogy of Slutwalk counts on the presence of sexual psychologist Alejandra Quintero, who's strongly supporting the matter of female body empowerment.

She also explained the objective of La Marcha de las Putas is "to create interest among the Cartagena community, to promote its participation in affirmative action focused on the transformation of individual and collective conscience to break the oppression, injustice and any rule or norm which naturalizes violence against women in the city.

[30] On August 14, 2011, the first Slutwalk of Costa Rica was held in the city of San José with the name "La Marcha de las Putas" and the invitation was spread mainly through social networks.

Organizer Montserrat Sagot, university professor and feminist leader, is the author of several books including "When Violence Against Women Kills: Femicide in Costa Rica."

The protest was directed against remarks made on August 2 by senior Catholic clerics during a ceremony in Cartago honouring Costa Rica's patron saint, the Virgen de los Ángeles.

Mexican Cardinal Francisco Robles, representing Pope Benedict XVI, said at the ceremony that a woman's mission "does not consist in emulating men, but rather in creating a more humane world by exercising creativity in the household."

[50] After the protest, Sagot wrote: "The march proved that in this country exists a new generation, who is not willing to answer with "good manners" to institutions which, like the Catholic hierarchy, disrespect their rights, blame women for the violence they suffer and which, from a position of power ( ... ) attempt to impose norms and lifestyles to people who do not agree with them."

Social movement Ruptura also supported the march, stating: "This protest advocates for the right of women to express their reality in their clothes, poses and make up, and this can't be turned into an excuse for harassment and abuse.

At the march, there was an increased number of male participants, as well as people with naked torsos, a fake Catholic priest in pink robe, many signs with rhymes and slogans, live musicians and stiltwalkers.

)"[15] On August 6, 2011, Andrea Nuila co-organized the event with her group Atrévete, the Tegucigalpa chapter of Hollaback!, an international women-led movement to end street harassment.

Sergio Ulloa, one of the male protesters, commented on the march: "We live in a machista country, and it's about time men stop harassing and sexually abusing women.

[24] Gabriela Amancaya, from Atrévete DF, the local version of Hollaback!, participated in the protest in Mexico City, and explained the goal was to "raise consciousness around the fact that we are tired of street harassment, of abuse in general, and of the silence which always surrounds those subjects."

[7] On June 11, 2011, the first Slutwalk was held in Matagalpa under the name "Marcha de las Putas", with the objective of bringing an end to the naturalization of violence against women and blaming of victims based on their appearance.

The FELCOPER (Federación Colombiana de Periodistas - Colombian Federation of Journalists) pronounced in favor of Idrobo, expressing their worry around censorship and discrimination inside independent media, as well as unfair layoffs based on ideology.

Ana Lucía Álvarez, spokeswoman of the organization, explained to the local media it was not a march of prostitutes, but rather one of young people against violence towards women and street harassment.

"Each one of us participates with as much or as little clothing as they wish" explained the organizers, "Our demand is that society stops tolerating and minimizing sexual abuses, and instead of blaming the victim, have the perpetrator severely judged."

The protest was also directed to a comment made by President José Mujica to those who were asking for the resignation of Fernando Calloia, head of the Banco de la República.