Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Wednesday urging Mexican authorities to conduct a “thorough” and “impartial” investigation into a possible mass killing site outside the city of Guadalajara, in Jalisco state.
According to the report, a local search collective called the Jalisco Search Warriors on March 5 uncovered a remote ranch site where they found “bone fragments…hundreds of shoes, clothing items, charred human remains, and three underground ovens on a ranch.” The discovery was made while attempting to locate missing individuals or their remains, with local citizens organizing the effort in the absence of a sufficient response by the authorities.
The discovery raised concerns among family members about possible mass killings tied to criminal cartels, drawing international attention to the ongoing crisis of disappearances in Mexico and the government’s failure to intervene.
HRW called for a transparent investigation into the discovery, emphasizing that it is crucial for identifying the victims and holding the individuals involved accountable. HRW Americas director Juanita Goebertus stated, “President Claudia Sheinbaum should see this as a signal to undertake an urgent, nationwide effort to professionalize the investigation of crimes by state prosecutors’ offices.” Amnesty International has echoed this call, urging authorities to act expeditiously and open a comprehensive forensic investigation. Along with HRW, Amnesty emphasized that the Mexican government’s slowness to investigate or prosecute forced disappearances creates an atmosphere of “total impunity,” also endangering family members of the disappeared.
The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) reported a staggering 111,521 persons missing in Mexico as of September 2023, all of whom were victims of organized crime. The organization noted that under-reporting and a lack of data indicate that actual numbers of missing persons are likely to be higher. According to ICMP, the rise in disappearance cases suggests that escalating organized crime violence could be the result of tension between the government’s increased militarism and other groups competing for control of the country’s illegal markets and resources. Jalisco, Tamaulipas and Estado de Mexico have the highest numbers of missing persons across Mexico, while 75 percent of missing persons throughout the country are men, and 25 percent are women.
HRW condemned Mexican authorities in a previous report over the government’s refusal to investigate homicides due to systemic problems such as high workloads, limited resources, and authorities’ failure to coordinate search efforts.
