Thousands of people have held protests across Mexico to highlight the country's many enforced disappearances and demand more action by officials to tackle them. Relatives and friends of missing people, as well as human rights activists, marched through the streets of Mexico City, Guadalajara, Córdoba, and other cities calling for justice and urging the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum to help find their missing loved ones.
More than 130,000 people have been reported as missing in Mexico. Almost all the disappearances have occurred since 2007, when then-President Felipe Calderón launched his 'war on drugs.' In many cases, those disappeared have been forcibly recruited into the drug cartels or murdered for resisting. While drug cartels and organized crime groups are the primary perpetrators, security forces are also blamed for deaths and disappearances.
The widespread demonstrations, taking place in various cities and states from Oaxaca to Sonora, demonstrated how extensively the issue of forced disappearances affects communities across the country. Protesters carried placards bearing the faces of their disappeared loved ones, demanding the authorities take more decisive action.
In Mexico City, the march halted traffic on the main thoroughfare. Family members, known as 'buscadores,' often form search teams to locate missing individuals, frequently risking their lives as they follow tips about mass graves.
The United Nations has described Mexico's ongoing crisis as 'a human tragedy of enormous proportions,' noting that the current situation has resulted in more disappearances than in some of Latin America's bleakest periods. The protests mark a critical call to action for the government to address this dire issue.
More than 130,000 people have been reported as missing in Mexico. Almost all the disappearances have occurred since 2007, when then-President Felipe Calderón launched his 'war on drugs.' In many cases, those disappeared have been forcibly recruited into the drug cartels or murdered for resisting. While drug cartels and organized crime groups are the primary perpetrators, security forces are also blamed for deaths and disappearances.
The widespread demonstrations, taking place in various cities and states from Oaxaca to Sonora, demonstrated how extensively the issue of forced disappearances affects communities across the country. Protesters carried placards bearing the faces of their disappeared loved ones, demanding the authorities take more decisive action.
In Mexico City, the march halted traffic on the main thoroughfare. Family members, known as 'buscadores,' often form search teams to locate missing individuals, frequently risking their lives as they follow tips about mass graves.
The United Nations has described Mexico's ongoing crisis as 'a human tragedy of enormous proportions,' noting that the current situation has resulted in more disappearances than in some of Latin America's bleakest periods. The protests mark a critical call to action for the government to address this dire issue.
