Share

Thousands of mothers of disappeared march across Mexico

Share

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Thousands of mothers of disappeared Mexicans marched in cities across the country to mark Mexico’s Mother’s Day and demand authorities find their children — or at least their bodies.

Some 40,000 people have gone missing since the start of the country’s drug war in 2006. Very few have ever been found, though clandestine mass graves dot the countryside. Often, human remains are not identified, leaving some families with no word of their loved ones for more than a decade.

That is the case for Rocío Morales, whose son was kidnapped almost 11 years ago.

She wept quietly, but desperately at the Mexico City march as she held up a banner with a photo of Pedro Morales González. The banner was made five years ago to mark the anniversary of his disappearance and she has been marching with it ever since.

Though Morales has filed crime reports with local, state and federal police and gone from agency and agency looking for information, she said, “There has been nothing, nothing, even though I know who did it.” Too poor to hire a lawyer, she said authorities “just close the door in our face.”

Trending:
Fani Willis Throws a Tantrum to Jim Jordan as Contempt Deadline Arrives

“I want to know what happened to him,” said Morales, who is raising the children of her son, who was a 37-year-old electrical company employee. “This is not life, this is like a living death, not knowing where our children are.”

Hundreds of other mothers marched in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz and the northern cities of Monterrey and Ciudad Victoria, chanting: “They took them alive, we want them back alive!” and “Why do we search for them? Because we love them!”

The mothers are often looking for a police report, forensic investigation or just a bit of bone to help them understand what happened. Such marches also serve as a way for women to support each other and remind their children they are not forgotten.

“Children, listen, your mother is still fighting,” they chanted in Mexico City.

The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation