Family Celebrates Jessica Ivonne’s Birthday in Ciudad Juárez, 15 Years After Her Disappearance

A cake in turquoise and white, candles, flowers and a photograph of Jessica Ivonne Padilla Cuéllar filled a memorial in Ciudad Juárez on Saturday, as her mother marked the young woman’s 32nd birthday.

Jessica disappeared on July 7, 2011, when she was 16. Her mother, Anita Cuéllar, told El Universal in August that Jessica was a student who was deeply loved by her family. She left home to look for a job during the holidays and never returned.

Cuéllar held the birthday gathering at the Permanent Memorial for Missing People in Borunda Park, where a mural depicts her daughter’s face. The celebration formed part of her continuing search and her effort to keep Jessica’s memory visible.

It was not the first initiative Cuéllar has organized. She recently promoted a campaign calling for the search notices of missing young women and men to be published in the city and receive greater visibility. She has also carried out these activities in support of other mothers searching for their children.