Mexico to Implement New Tactics in Search for Missing Individuals in Drug War – Reuters

By Lizbeth Diaz

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – On Monday, Mexican officials unveiled a new initiative aimed at locating the tens of thousands of individuals who have disappeared amid the ongoing drug war in the country. This plan includes the establishment of a new forensic institute and enhanced collaboration with international organizations and the families of the missing.

The government estimates that over 40,000 individuals are missing in Mexico, with approximately 26,000 unidentified bodies cataloged within the forensic system. Alejandro Encinas, the undersecretary for human rights within the interior ministry, conveyed this information during a news conference. He further noted that there are believed to be more than 1,100 clandestine burial sites scattered throughout the nation.

“Unfortunately, our territory has become a huge clandestine grave,” Encinas remarked.

This initiative, defined by the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office in December, marks a significant orchestration in addressing the crisis. During his campaign, Lopez Obrador proposed a strategy centered around “transitional justice,” which often includes leniency for those who confess guilt, formation of truth commissions to uncover past atrocities, and provisions for victim reparations.

The newly established forensic institute, called the National Search System (SNB), is slated to commence operations in March, as indicated by Encinas.

Attention will be particularly focused on migrants, who represent about 8 to 10 percent of the missing individuals. With the influx of thousands of Central American migrants entering Mexico through large caravans over the last year—driven by poverty and violence in their home countries—the government plans to allocate additional resources to key transit regions, such as the southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas.

Furthermore, a nationwide database will be implemented, designed for accessibility by officials across the country, with technical assistance from international entities like the United Nations and the Red Cross.

International organizations have previously played a pivotal role in investigating notable cases of disappearance, including the high-profile incident involving 43 students who vanished in 2014. This case has come to symbolize a period of escalating violence and corruption during the presidency of Enrique Pena Nieto, which contributed to the electoral triumph of the leftist Lopez Obrador.