Mexico 'champion of disappearance,' activists protest near World Cup stadium

Families searching for missing loved ones gathered near the Estadio Banorte, a venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to paste missing person posters and protest what they called Mexico's status as "champion in disappearance." The collectives, including Luciérnagas Buscadoras and Hasta Encontrarles Ciudad de México, highlighted that as of May 30, 2026, there are 134,663 registered missing and unlocated individuals in Mexico, dating back to December 31, 1952. Gabriela Alonso Villarruel, a member of Luciérnagas Buscadoras, noted that this is not the first time they have covered the area around the stadium with such posters, which have been removed by authorities in the past. Villarruel wore a Mexican national team jacket with "133 thousand disappeared" printed on the back. "Specifically, today's demand is for the government of Mexico City and the mayor's office: that the posters are not removed," she stated in an interview with EL UNIVERSAL Deportes. "We will be very careful not to stick them on advertising, but we need them to also be careful not to remove them and respect the right of disappeared persons to be searched for and located." Villarruel shared the personal story of her brother, Yudhisthira, who disappeared in Mexico City in September 2024 and was found deceased in the State of Mexico the following month. She explained that these actions aim to raise visibility during a time when the country is under international scrutiny due to the World Cup. "The World Cup is coming, but it doesn't bring back those who are missing from us," she added. The family of Raúl Ventura Santiago also joined the protest. His daughter, Anayeli Ventura Gallegos, shared that her father disappeared on February 8, 2024, in Tamaulipas while on a work trip. The states with the highest number of registered disappearances are the State of Mexico, Tamaulipas, and Jalisco, all of which are World Cup host states.

“

Mexico is the champion of disappearance.