Mexico City Prosecutor Disputes Volunteer Searchers' Claims of Human Remains Discovery

Volunteer searchers in Mexico City claimed to have discovered human remains and a clandestine crematorium on the outskirts of the city. However, the chief prosecutor of Mexico City disputed these findings, stating that the 14 bones found were of animal origin and not from a crematorium or clandestine grave.

The search was prompted by a social media announcement from María de Jesús Soria Aguayo, a leader of a group seeking the bodies of Mexico's missing. Soria Aguayo said the team had located bones, burial pits, and ID cards around a charred pit. The group was accompanied by search dogs and police as they carefully examined the fields for evidence.

The search highlighted the ongoing efforts of volunteer groups, mostly made up of mothers of the disappeared, to find the remains of the over 110,000 people declared missing in Mexico due to cartel violence. While the volunteers often conduct investigations based on tips, sometimes from former criminals, the authorities have been criticized for not adequately funding or implementing a genetic database to help identify remains.

Why this matters: The case underscores the challenges faced by Mexican families seeking the remains of their missing loved ones amid escalating drug cartel violence in the country. It also highlights the crucial role played by volunteer searchers in the absence of sufficient government support and resources to locate and identify the disappeared.

The chief prosecutor stated that the ID cards found belonged to people who were alive and in good health, suggesting that the site may have been used by criminals to eliminate evidence. "There are no human remains, there is no clandestine crematorium, and the bones are not human," said Ernestina Godoy, the chief prosecutor of Mexico City.

While the volunteers believe they have found evidence, the searches have had deadly consequences, with at least seven of the activists searching for the missing having been killed since 2021. The government has also been accused of conducting a campaign to reduce the politically damaging figures on the missing.

Key Takeaways

• Volunteer searchers claimed to find human remains, crematorium in Mexico City.
• Prosecutor disputed findings, said bones were animal, no crematorium or grave.
• Volunteer groups search for remains of 110,000 missing due to cartel violence.
• Authorities criticized for lack of genetic database to identify remains.
• Activists searching for missing have faced deadly consequences, with 7 killed since 2021.