Textures of Terror: The Murder of Claudina Isabel Velasquez and Her Father's Quest for Justice (Volume 55) (California Series in Public Anthropology)

**Investigating the unsolved murder of a female law student and the pervasive violence against Guatemalan women that drives migration.** Part memoir and part forensic investigation, __Textures of Terror__ is a gripping first-person story of women, violence, and migration out of Guatemala—and how the United States is implicated. Accompanying Jorge Velásquez in a years-long search for answers after the brutal murder of his daughter Claudina Isabel, Victoria Sanford explores what it means to seek justice in "postconflict" countries where violence never ended. Through this father's determined struggle and other stories of justice denied, __Textures of Terror__ offers a deeper understanding of US policies in Latin America and their ripple effect on migration. Sanford offers an up-close appraisal of the inner workings of the Guatemalan criminal justice system and how it maintains inequality, patriarchy, and impunity. Presenting the stories of other women who have suffered at the hands of strangers, intimate partners, and the security forces, this work reveals the deeply gendered nature of power and violence in Guatemala. "Investigating the unsolved murder of a female law student and the pervasive violence against Guatemalan women that drives migration. Part memoir and part forensic investigation, Textures of Terror is a gripping first-person story of women, violence, and migration out of Guatemala-and how the United States is implicated. Accompanying Jorge Velasquez in a years-long search for answers after the brutal murder of his daughter Claudina Isabel, Victoria Sanford explores what it means to seek justice in "post-conflict" countries where violence never ended. Through this father's determined struggle and other stories of justice denied, Textures of Terror offers a deeper understanding of US policies in Latin America and their ripple effect on migration. Sanford offers an up-close appraisal of the inner workings of the Guatemalan criminal justice system and how it maintains inequality, patriarchy, and impunity. Presenting the stories of other women who have suffered at the hands of strangers, intimate partners, and the security forces, this work reveals the deeply gendered nature of power and violence in Guatemala"-- Provided by publisher Contents Acknowledgments List of Illustrations List of Abbreviations Dramatis Personae Introduction 1 The Night Claudina Isabel Did Not Come Home 2 Esperanza’s Story: Sold at 12 3 Cycles of Violence 4 #TengoMiedo (#IAmAfraid) 5 Paradise for Killers 6 Marked Women 7 Bittersweet Justice Notes References Index