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35 Searchers Murdered in Mexico Since 2011, 21 of Them Women: Amnesty International
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

35 Searchers Murdered in Mexico Since 2011, 21 of Them Women: Amnesty International

From ABC Color · (2h ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • At least 35 people searching for missing relatives in Mexico have been murdered since 2011, including 21 women, according to Amnesty International.
  • Over 90% of search collectives are formed and led by women, who have taken on the dangerous task due to the state's ineffectiveness.
  • Amnesty International urged the Mexican government to accept international support to address the crisis of over 133,000 disappeared persons and to guarantee the safety of searchers.

Amnesty International has sounded the alarm regarding the perilous reality faced by individuals searching for their disappeared loved ones in Mexico. The organization reports that at least 35 'buscadores' (searchers) have been killed since 2011, with women tragically making up the majority of victims. This grim statistic underscores the immense danger these individuals, predominantly mothers, wives, and sisters, face daily as they navigate territories often controlled by organized crime, all in a desperate quest for answers and justice.

Al menos 35 personas buscadoras han sido asesinadas desde 2011, de ellas 21 son mujeres.

— Edith Olivares FerretoThe Executive Director of Amnesty International Mexico denounces the number of murdered searchers.

The overwhelming majority—over 90%—of these search collectives are composed of and led by women. These women have stepped into the void left by an ineffective state, taking on the arduous and dangerous work of searching for the disappeared. Their efforts have been instrumental in pushing for laws, public policies, and specialized institutions, yet they continue to operate under constant threat. Amnesty International highlights that these women are essentially acting as human rights defenders, a status that should afford them greater protection under both national and international mechanisms.

Frente a las graves omisiones e ineficacia de las autoridades mexicanas han sido principalmente las mujeres —madres, esposas, hermanas e hijas— quienes han asumido las labores de búsqueda, recorriendo cárceles, calles, fosas, zonas controladas por el crimen organizado y terrenos de alto riesgo para encontrar a sus familiares.

— Edith Olivares FerretoThe Executive Director of Amnesty International Mexico explains the role women have taken in searching for the disappeared due to state failures.

In light of the escalating crisis, which has left over 133,000 people missing, Amnesty International implores the Mexican state to accept international assistance. The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has offered support, and accepting this aid could provide crucial technical and financial resources to bolster search efforts, forensic identification, and investigations. More importantly, it could lead to enhanced protection measures for these brave searchers and their families. The sheer scale of disappearances and the violence faced by those seeking truth demand a comprehensive and urgent response, one that prioritizes the safety and rights of those who are tirelessly searching for their loved ones in Mexico.

El Estado mexicano las debe reconocer como defensoras de derechos humanos, lo que activaría mecanismos de protección tanto nacionales como internacionales.

— Edith Olivares FerretoThe Executive Director of Amnesty International Mexico calls for searchers to be recognized as human rights defenders to activate protection mechanisms.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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