Thousands have held protests across Mexico to highlight the country's crisis of enforced disappearances and demand more decisive action from officials. Relatives, friends of missing individuals, and human rights activists passionately marched in cities like Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Córdoba on the International Day of the Disappeared.
More than 130,000 people have been reported missing in Mexico, with the vast majority of these cases emerging since 2007, following former President Felipe Calderón's declaration of a 'war on drugs.'
Many of those who have disappeared have been allegedly coerced into drug cartels or murdered outright. While organized crime is primarily responsible, security forces have also faced allegations of complicity in these acts.
The widespread protests underscore how deeply enforced disappearances affect families and communities across the country. Activists and families from all over Mexico — from Oaxaca to Sonora — carried pictures of their loved ones, demanding justice and government intervention.
In the capital, demonstrations caused significant disruptions, blocking major traffic routes. Many families, known as 'buscadores,' have formed search teams to comb through remote areas for mass graves, often risking their lives due to cartel retaliation.
Recent incidents highlight the perilous nature of these searches, as some members of such search teams have also gone missing after uncovering potential mass grave sites.
The UN has classified the situation as a 'human tragedy of enormous proportions,' stating that Mexico's disappearance rate exceeds those of its Latin American counterparts, including Guatemala and Argentina during their respective civil conflicts. This alarming trend calls for immediate and comprehensive governmental action to protect citizens and address the crisis of the missing.
