News Release #12

February 12, 2019

Fourth National Search Brigade

  • The National Search Brigade for the Disappeared announces the continuation of its search in the state of Guerrero.
  • The Secretary of the Interior pledges to follow up the requests of the Brigade and the Guerrero Front for Our Disappeared, including the requests derived from this decision.

The work done by the Fourth National Search Brigade for the Disappeared in the State of Guerrero confirmed and evidenced, once more, the severity of the disappearance crisis in Mexico and Guerrero. Faced with this scenario, the National Liaison Network and the Guerrero Front for Our Disappeared have decided to continue with the search in the state of Guerrero started by the National Search Brigade. We have made this decision due to the following reasons:

— The process of searching, mending the social fabric, and achieving peace demands a permanent work process with constant encouragement of the communities that welcomed the Fourth National Search Brigade.

— We found human remains at locations that had already been examined by the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Guerrero. This shows the deficiencies and limitations of the authorities’ efforts and the need to continue to search even at locations that have already been examined.

— As a result of the efforts of the Fourth National Search Brigade, and thanks to the trust built with the communities, we gathered new pieces of information that have allowed the identification of new search locations throughout the state of Guerrero.

— After finding these new pieces of information, we reassert the urgency of implementing strategies to search for potentially alive persons, which will require an increased presence of the Brigade in three search locations: search locations, educational institutions, and churches.

In respect of the continuation of the work done by the National Search Brigade for the Disappeared in Guerrero, we met with the Secretary of the Interior, the Executive Commission for Attention to Victims, and the Attorney General’s Office on February 11, 2019, to assess and follow up the work done by the Fourth Brigade. The National Liaison Network and the Guerrero Front for Our Disappeared urged the Mexican government to design a Plan for the Search for Potentially Alive Disappeared Persons that allows full involvement of the families, their collectives, and their organizations. We also urged the government to carry out exhumation proceedings at search locations under families’ supervision; to continue with the institutional dialogue through interinstitutional workshops at a national and local level; to guarantee the security and protection of the National Search Brigade and the communities it visits; and to respect fully all the rights of all victims.

The Minister of the Interior, Alejandro Encinas, pledged to give appropriate follow-up to each of the requests delivered and written in a document by the National Liaison Network and the Guerrero Front for Our Disappeared, as well as to continue with the interinstitutional dialogue and cooperation with the help of Félix Santana, General Director of Strategies for Attention to Human Rights of the Ministry of the Interior.

Especially during our search, we urge the federal and local government authorities to guarantee our security and the provision of materials to carry out our work.

#BuscandoNosEncontramos (#BySearchingWeFindOurselves)

#BrigadadeBusqueda (#SearchBrigade)

Contact us:
Gustavo Rojas 5545494913
Javier Perea 5546827723
enlaces.nacionales@gmail.com
Twitter: @ReddeEnlaces @BrigadaBuscando
Facebook: Brigada Nacional de Búsqueda de Personas Desaparecidas
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