The relentless work of the 'searching mothers' of missing persons in Mexico is marred by increasing harassment and death threats, including the loss of lives. Cecilia Flores from the Madres Buscadoras de Sonora collective commented in an interview with Publimetro that search brigades and patrols have decreased due to threats and the death of some of the searchers.
On the eve of Mother's Day, it has been reported that since 2010, 27 'searching mothers' have been murdered and three more are reported missing. Ceci Flores highlights the risks these women face, from bureaucracy and apathy from authorities to the possibility of being attacked by members of organized crime during searches.
Flores emphasizes that the threats have led to the reduction and even cancellation of search teams, as many mothers have been intimidated by criminal groups. Specifically, she mentions that the Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been implicated in accusations against the searchers, increasing fear among them.
In the state of Jalisco, members of collectives such as Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco and Luz de Esperanza de Jalisco have lost their lives under violent circumstances while searching for their missing loved ones. The recent discovery of Rancho Izaguirre as a site where missing persons were cremated has caused outrage, linking the deaths of some mothers to this macabre revelation.
María del Rosario Zavala, Teresa González Murillo, and Esmeralda Gallardo are just a few names of 'searching mothers' who have been victims of violence in Mexico. The National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons reports that as of April 2025, 126,852 missing persons were registered in the country, worsening the forensic crisis with thousands of unidentified bodies.
The Network for the Rights of Childhood warns about the recruitment of more than 30,000 girls, boys, and adolescents by organized crime in Mexico. In 2024, an average of 28 cases of missing girls, boys, and adolescents were reported daily, highlighting the magnitude of the problem in the country.
