politics
April 4, 2026
‘They’re making them disappear again’: families fear Mexico’s missing are being erased
Government accused of removing loved ones from record after report says tens of thousands lack information to be found
TL;DR
- Over 130,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since the government declared war on drug cartels.
- A new government report suggests many of the missing are still alive or lack sufficient data for searches, angering families.
- Activists accuse the government of trying to erase the missing from records and minimize the human rights crisis.
- Past administrations have also claimed lower numbers of disappeared people.
- The practice of forced disappearance has historical roots in Mexico, resurging significantly with the drug war.
- The government's classification of disappearances and claims of 'voluntary absences' are contested, with evidence of state involvement in some cases.
- Many families distrust authorities and fear reporting missing loved ones due to potential collusion between prosecutors and criminal groups.
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