Amnesty International urges Mexico to respect families of the disappeared during World Cup

Amnesty International has called on the Mexican state to respect and protect the families of the disappeared who are gathering in Mexico City. The organization expressed "deep concern" over security operations near the stadium ahead of the World Cup match between Mexico and Ecuador.

"Those who take to the streets to demand truth, justice, and the location of their loved ones exercise a right that the state has the obligation to respect, protect, and guarantee," Amnesty International stated on social media. As the World Cup match approached at the Mexico City Stadium, groups searching for disappeared persons and their families began to gather, blocking a major road about eight kilometers from the venue. Police intervened to contain the protests, leading to tense moments with officers, including pushing and shoving, as seen in videos shared online.

Amnesty International condemned any acts of repression against demonstrators. The organization demanded that Mexico City authorities fully guarantee the rights to protest, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly. They also called on the capital's Human Rights Commission to document and follow up on any potential human rights violations occurring in this context.

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Condenamos cualquier acto de represión contra las personas manifestantes y exigimos a las autoridades de Ciudad de México garantizar plenamente los derechos a la protesta, la libertad de expresión y la reunión pacífica

"The searching families face the daily absence of their loved ones, impunity, and often risks derived from their search efforts. Responding to their legitimate demands with containment or repression actions deepens re-victimization and sends an inadmissible message of intolerance towards those claiming rights that the state continues to fail to fully guarantee," the organization stated. Activists reported aggression and impediments to their peaceful demonstration, where they chanted slogans like "Not one more, not one more disappeared."

These protests occur amidst social mobilization by various groups in Mexico during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Search groups had previously mobilized during the World Cup's opening day to demand solutions from President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration. International organizations have warned about the crisis of disappearances in Mexico, with over 130,000 cases according to official figures.

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Las familias buscadoras enfrentan diariamente la ausencia de sus seres queridos, la impunidad y, en muchos casos, riesgos derivados de su labor de búsqueda. Responder a sus legítimas exigencias con acciones de contención o represión profundiza la revictimización y envía un mensaje inadmisible de intolerancia frente a quienes reclaman derechos que el Estado continúa sin garantizar plenamente