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 urged 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 since 2007, coinciding with a violent crackdown on drug-related crime. Many of the disappeared have been forcibly recruited into drug cartels or murdered for resisting.
While drug cartels and organized crime groups are the main perpetrators, security forces are also blamed for deaths and disappearances. Demonstrations were widespread, showing how deeply the issue of forced disappearances cuts into Mexican society. Activists and family members carried placards featuring the faces of their loved ones, demanding the authorities address the crisis.
Heavy traffic was recorded as thousands gathered in Mexico City's streets. Many affected families have organized search teams called 'buscadores', who conduct searches for missing persons, often facing dangers from the cartels. The UN has called this situation a "human tragedy," noting that Mexico's disappearance rates surpass those of some of Latin America's worst conflicts. With a history marked by violence and suffering, the call for justice and accountability grows ever more urgent.
While drug cartels and organized crime groups are the main perpetrators, security forces are also blamed for deaths and disappearances. Demonstrations were widespread, showing how deeply the issue of forced disappearances cuts into Mexican society. Activists and family members carried placards featuring the faces of their loved ones, demanding the authorities address the crisis.
Heavy traffic was recorded as thousands gathered in Mexico City's streets. Many affected families have organized search teams called 'buscadores', who conduct searches for missing persons, often facing dangers from the cartels. The UN has called this situation a "human tragedy," noting that Mexico's disappearance rates surpass those of some of Latin America's worst conflicts. With a history marked by violence and suffering, the call for justice and accountability grows ever more urgent.
