In Mexico City on March 17, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced her intention to sign a decree reinforcing the commission responsible for locating missing persons. This decision follows the recent unearthing of a mass grave.
According to government records, Mexico has more than 124,000 missing individuals, a significant number linked to homicides where victims are frequently interred in illegal, sometimes collective, graves due to inadequate governmental resources to bring resolution to affected families.
Notably, civilian activists discovered a mass grave last week on a ranch in Teuchitlan, Jalisco state, holding ashes, bones, and numerous clothing items awaiting official examination. The finding triggered an outcry nationwide, leading to demonstrations demanding more government involvement.
Sheinbaum pledged to present further reforms to Congress aiming to streamline the identification of missing persons, centralize case data, enhance transparency on missing individuals, eliminate the 72-hour waiting period for launch investigations, and distinguish between kidnapping and missing persons cases to expedite responses and deter impunity.
Collaboration among governmental bodies is essential to thwart impunity, stated Sheinbaum. Emphasizing the importance of families reporting disappearances, she highlighted the government's duty to support these families.
She also committed to sharing details regarding the Jalisco case investigation on Wednesday, although the exact number of remains in the grave remains undisclosed. Notably, the state prosecutor's office initiated an online platform listing around 600 items found at the ranch, including luggage, clothing items, and other personal effects for public identification. Additionally, authorities are conducting tests on clothing items, bullet casings, and skeletal remains recovered from the site.