The Luz de Esperanza Jalisco collective has called for a demonstration to be held on March 15, 2025, in Guadalajara. The demonstration, called National Mourning Vigil, aims to remember the victims of forced recruitment, homicides, and other crimes perpetrated at the Izaguirre ranch in Teuchitlán. The activity will take place in front of the Government Palace in the city center of Guadalajara and will be open to the general public. It is expected that during the demonstration, a symbolic act will take place where 400 candles will be lit to represent the 400 pairs of shoes found at the site.
Various collectives from around the country have united under the slogan "Never Again Teuchitlán, Jalisco. Memory and Resistance" to highlight the struggle for justice and the recognition of human rights of missing persons. This event gains relevance after the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco collective discovered clandestine ovens at the Izaguirre Ranch in Teuchitlán.
According to collected testimonies, the place is considered a "site of extermination and training camp" where torture, forced recruitment for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, organ trafficking, child abuse, and other crimes allegedly took place. In collaboration with the Madres Buscadoras de Jalisco collective, clothing items of missing persons have been presented for preliminary identification by family members.
Despite ongoing investigations and measures taken at the site, authorities have not provided statements about the significance of the findings or their impact on the victims and their families. The search collectives demand answers and justice, rejecting the impunity surrounding these crimes. The March 15 demonstration will be an occasion for citizens, human rights advocacy organizations, and collectives to join together in memory, justice, and resistance against the violence that has affected Jalisco and other parts of the country.
In Jalisco, the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons reports 13,495 cases since January 1, 2007. Guadalajara, Zapopan, and Tlajomulco are the municipalities with the most reports of disappearance in the state, while nationwide, Jalisco is among the five states with the highest incidence of disappearances, alongside Tamaulipas, State of Mexico, Veracruz, and Nuevo León.
