Disappearances in Quintana Roo’s Maya Zone Surge: Groups Say as Fear Stifles Reporting

Quintana Roo, Mexico — Disappearances have surged in the Maya zone of Quintana Roo, with 60 active search notices recorded by the collective Verdad, Memoria y Justicia, the group announced Thursday.

Romana Rivera Ramírez, president of the collective, led a campaign to post search notices in the hotel zone, El Callejón de los Milagros, Avenida Tulum, and the Parque de las Palapas, supported by the State Search Commission. The activity honored her daughter, Diana García, who would have turned 27 on Wednesday and has been missing for 77 months.

Rivera said the number of disappearances has increased, especially in isolated Maya communities where many families do not report cases out of fear. “The problem in the Maya zone is that many disappearances remain in the shadows; many families do not file reports. They are very small communities that see armed individuals and recognize the vehicles, even if not the people, and that intimidates them,” she explained.

The collective maintains 160 active search notices in Quintana Roo, of which about 60 correspond to cases in José María Morelos and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Additionally, 25 missing persons have been found dead, and the group now supports their families during homicide investigations.

Rivera said the collective continues meeting with authorities to strengthen search protocols and adapt them to each municipality, noting that a search operation in Cancún differs greatly from one in the Maya zone.