Forced disappearance in Veracruz.
The State of Veracruz, in the Gulf of Mexico, is immersed in a spiral of violence initiated with the government of Javier Duarte (2010-2016) suspected of corruption, organized crime and the murder of journalists. The disputes between the Jalisco Cartel and the Zetas over control of the narco’s business sowed a scenario of systematic disappearances and passivity from the authorities responsible for investigating these crimes. In October 2016, after being accused of collaborating with organized crime, Javier Duarte fled the country at one of the times when cases of missing persons increased to become a humanitarian crisis.
Due to the passivity and collaboration of the authorities with the narco, mothers with missing children have had to organize in groups such as ’Colectivo Solecito’ to seek justice. Without previous experience, these mothers are having better results than the police themselves in the search for bodies. Their worst suspicions were confirmed when they began to dig in the area of ‘Santa Fe Hills’, north of the Port of Veracruz, and found the first bodies. The most recent data count more than 250 skulls found. Even with more than half of the land to be excavated, the area is already referred to as the largest clandestine cemetery in Mexico.
Many mothers talk about suffering mental problems after disappearances. Problems like seeing your children in other people or in illusions. For these people one of the most difficult things is not to have had the chance to say goodbye. The disappearance forces the families to live in a state of anguish because it is impossible to determine if their relatives are still alive or dead. After the disappearance some bodies appear on the banks of the roads of Veracruz. Others disappear forever, tying mothers to an endless search. Living in the hope of finding their children alive and at the same time anxious to find a body that confirms death in order to cry and rest from the search.
Forced disappearance in Veracruz.
The State of Veracruz, in the Gulf of Mexico, is immersed in a spiral of violence initiated with the government of Javier Duarte (2010-2016) suspected of corruption, organized crime and the murder of journalists. The disputes between the Jalisco Cartel and the Zetas over control of the narco’s business sowed a scenario of systematic disappearances and passivity from the authorities responsible for investigating these crimes. In October 2016, after being accused of collaborating with organized crime, Javier Duarte fled the country at one of the times when cases of missing persons increased to become a humanitarian crisis.
Due to the passivity and collaboration of the authorities with the narco, mothers with missing children have had to organize in groups such as ’Colectivo Solecito’ to seek justice. Without previous experience, these mothers are having better results than the police themselves in the search for bodies. Their worst suspicions were confirmed when they began to dig in the area of ‘Santa Fe Hills’, north of the Port of Veracruz, and found the first bodies. The most recent data count more than 250 skulls found. Even with more than half of the land to be excavated, the area is already referred to as the largest clandestine cemetery in Mexico.
Many mothers talk about suffering mental problems after disappearances. Problems like seeing your children in other people or in illusions. For these people one of the most difficult things is not to have had the chance to say goodbye. The disappearance forces the families to live in a state of anguish because it is impossible to determine if their relatives are still alive or dead. After the disappearance some bodies appear on the banks of the roads of Veracruz. Others disappear forever, tying mothers to an endless search. Living in the hope of finding their children alive and at the same time anxious to find a body that confirms death in order to cry and rest from the search.