Candlelight vigil held for missing persons in Quintana Roo

CANCÚN, MX. — Members of the collective “Truth, Memory and Justice” held a candlelight vigil tonight in front of the State Attorney General’s Office on Xcaret Avenue, commemorating people who are not at home with their families to celebrate Christmas.

Around 20 people used the central median to begin this symbolic event, placing candles and missing persons search flyers.

According to members of this collective, this candlelight vigil, which took place in 20 states across the country, aims to highlight the struggle that thousands of people have undertaken in Mexico to search for their missing relatives.

During the act, the demonstrators demanded that executive authorities implement public policies to combat the phenomenon of forced disappearances; and that the local Congress allocate budgets to improve missing persons search operations.

Romana Rivera, president of this collective, stated that they will continue to demand that authorities adequately comply with search protocols.

She pointed out that, in recent years, this collective has been subjected to revictimization, indifference, and attacks by authorities.

“We are witnesses to the lack of coordination and cooperation between government agencies. Additionally, there is a lack of competence among the personnel of the authorities responsible for the search,” she added.

Furthermore, she stated that currently many authorities have normalized having civil collectives carry out search operations.

“We identify that there are many authorities who have normalized that collectives carry out the operations. Search operations are the responsibility of the Mexican public service, and we also identify the political profiteering from our pain,” she stated.

Likewise, Romana Rivera indicated that the Christmas holiday dates are very difficult for the families of missing persons.

However, she highlighted the importance of holding symbolic events like this to continue demanding that authorities “do their job.”

“Tears are close to the surface; however, we make an effort to make a statement where we are demanding help from the federal government and international organizations to be able to have effective searches, without revictimization,” she added.

“Today we make a call to society, even to those who have caused this scourge: we ask for peace, not revenge. We just want to know where our loved ones are. We just want to hug them again,” she concluded.