Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report March 19 urging Mexican authorities to conduct a "thorough" and "impartial" investigation into an apparent mass killing site outside the city of Guadalajara, in Jalisco state.

According to the report, a local collective called the Jalisco Search Warriors on March 5 uncovered uncovered the site on an isolated ranch, where they found "bone fragments…hundreds of shoes, clothing items, charred human remains, and three underground ovens..."  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 apparent mass killings tied to criminal cartels, drawing international attention to the ongoing crisis of disappearances in Mexico and the government's failure to meaningfully respond.

Speaking of the discovery at Izaguirre Ranch in the municipality of Teuchitlan, 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," 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. The organization noted that under-reporting may indicate that actual numbers of missing persons are much higher. Jalisco, Tamaulipas and Estado de Mexico have the highest numbers of missing persons across Mexico, while 75% of missing persons throughout the country are men, and 25% are women.

HRW also condemned Mexican authorities in a 2023 report on the government's failure to investigate homicides due to systemic problems such as high workloads, limited resources and lack of coordination in official search efforts.

From JURIST, March 20. Used with permission.

See our last reports on Mexico's human rights crisis, and the body count.