Protests erupted throughout Mexico on Saturday as people called for justice in the wake of a horrifying discovery of charred bones, shoes, and clothing at a suspected drug cartel training site. Demonstrations were held in the state of Jalisco, where the remains were found, as well as in various cities across the country, including Mexico City, Tijuana, Veracruz, and San Luis Potosi.
The bodies were uncovered on March 5 by families searching for some of the more than 100,000 missing individuals in Mexico. The site, believed to be a recruitment center for forced labor, was described by the Guerreros Buscadores collective as an “extermination center” with clandestine crematoriums, shocking a nation already desensitized to escalating cartel violence.
In Mexico City, protesters lit candles and placed rows of shoes in remembrance of the missing. Aurora Corona, 58, whose son disappeared in Nuevo Leon state last year, expressed hope that the discovery would compel authorities to intensify efforts to locate the 124,059 officially registered missing persons in Mexico.
Since October 2023, several alleged clandestine crematoriums have been uncovered in Jalisco, adding to the grim tally of graves found throughout the country. The United Nations Human Rights Office condemned the discovery in Jalisco as a stark reminder of the trauma caused by disappearances linked to organized crime in Mexico.
Juan Carlos Perez, a 22-year-old student participating in the protests, emphasized the urgent need to address the pervasive criminal violence that has plagued Mexico’s security and justice systems for decades. He shared his realization that the victims could have easily been him or his loved ones.
Prosecutors in Jalisco have launched investigations into the skeletal remains found at the Izaguirre Ranch, where six groups of bones were discovered. Despite previous searches by authorities, the findings were overlooked until private citizens uncovered the evidence, prompting criticism of the adequacy of past efforts.
The shocking events have sparked a collective outcry for accountability and action to address the deep-rooted issues of violence and disappearances in Mexico.
Multiple mass graves have been discovered in Mexico in recent months. In January, at least 56 bodies were found in unmarked mass graves in northern Mexico, close to the United States border. In a suburb of Guadalajara last December, a mass grave containing the remains of 24 people was discovered with dozens of bags filled with dismembered body parts. Additionally, authorities in Mexico reported finding a total of 31 bodies in pits in Chiapas, a state facing cartel violence issues. Search groups looking for missing individuals claim that drug cartels and organized crime groups sometimes incinerate their victims in ovens to eliminate any evidence. The U.S. Marine Band had to cancel a concert with students of color following a DEI order from Trump. Also, restoring classic cars in classrooms and the impact of DOGE cuts on national parks are concerning issues.
