Dear Friends,
How much uncertainty can a mother, wife, son, daughter, or family member endure?
Today marks the hundred-and-fifth day without the presence of Leocadio Galaviz Cruz, Martín Hurtado Flores, Eladio Molina Zavala, Fabián Valencia Romero, Braulio Pérez Sol, Fabián Sombra Miranda, Juan Justino Galaviz Cruz, Artemio Arvallo Canizalez, and Gustavo Acosta Hurtado.
The pain of not knowing the whereabouts of a family member is unimaginable. This is not the first time that the Yaqui tribe has been inflicted with the forced disappearance of one of its members, and it is certainly not the first time that Mexico is harmed by such a crime. The existence of multiple collectives in search of their missing members in Sonora confirms these facts.
Previously, the state prosecutor announced information concerning the DNA identification of six Yaqui individuals as well as one non-Yaqui individual. In response, the victims’ family members have announced their distrust of their findings, which come without any significant, supporting scientific data. Their statements thus contribute to the general talk and politicized gossip about the findings at the Chichiquelite Ranch on the nineteenth of September.
It was only yesterday, the twenty-fifth of October, that the state presented the details of their findings to the public in a community meeting, but this came without any evidence that would affirm their conclusions. These conclusions now become part of the formal record even as we, the indirect victims in the situation, have been prevented from knowing the contents of the case files. [In forced disappearance cases, the family and friends of the victim experience prolonged suffering from not knowing whether their loved one is still alive. Consequently, they retreat from their regular lives, much to the detriment of their health and stability. They experience the anguish of knowing that they too may be at risk and suffer the same or worse fate as their loved one, particularly if they investigate the truth of the matter[1]]
The day that we requested access to the case files the state referred us to their legal counsel, who did not make himself present until yesterday. This was a barrier preventing family members from acquiring information that is part of the investigation.
We were also told to be very discreet during the investigation and that, of course, is understandable. No one wants to know the whereabouts of the victims more than their families; to know that justice exists and that this crime against humanity cannot result in impunity.
Yesterday, the Director of Homicide and Disappearance Investigations finally gave a response stating that a full account could be presented with due time and that a meeting for this would be planned in the coming week. No one must put up with the sinking feeling of not knowing what has happened to their loved one. It is for this reason that we exercise our right to the truth. We, the indirect victims of this forced disappearance, demand that the stated meeting for next week include the following:
- Access to the documented results of the previously identified recovered bodies, including all supporting evidence.
- Qualified experts to explain the process and the results of the previous identification of the recovered bodies.
- Measures for undertaking an independent forensic analysis
- Access to the official case files for the victims’ families.
- Concrete information regarding the lines of research that the State Prosecutor is undertaking.
About Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)
The Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) is a legally registered, non-profit, global Indigenous Peoples organization that works to protect the IP rights defenders, and unite and amplify the call for justice for the victims of criminalisation and impunity.
[1] https://www.un.org/es/observances/victims-enforced-disappearance
