Mexico: 4th Volunteer Search Activist Killed While Searching for Missing Daughter

In Mexico, gang wars between rival criminal organizations have resulted in thousands of civilians either dying or going missing. This has led relatives, mostly mothers looking for their missing children caught up in the drug war, to become volunteer search activists.

These volunteer search activists try looking for dead bodies, often braving cartel-controlled territory, just to search for their missing loved ones. Sadly, a fourth one has been killed last Tuesday. According to the Associated Press, the victim was identified as Esmeralda Gallardo, who was leading efforts to find her missing 22-year-old daughter. She was gunned down in the city of Puebla.

Gallardo was shot multiple times as she waited for public transportation. A report by Paudal revealed that at least five gunmen shot her eight times, with the suspects fleeing on foot and motorcycle soon after.

U.N. Human Rights Office Condemns Volunteer Search Activist's Killing in Mexico

Authorities in Puebla are now investigating the case, and prosecutors have promised to solve the case "as quickly as possible." However, the volunteer search activist group known as "Voice of the Disappeared in Puebla" released a statement directed at authorities. They urged the government to "leave aside the superficial speeches and guarantee the safety of the victims, and the rights and safety of the families of the disappeared."

Gallardo's death has also gotten the attention of the U.N. Human Rights Office in Mexico. It released a statement condemning her killing and said that Gallardo "had provided relevant information about her daughter's disappearance, which was not effectively taken into account during the search or the investigation of the crime."

According to the L.A. Times, Gallardo's daughter, Betzabe Alvarado Gallardo, disappeared back in January 2021. She went missing in a low-income neighborhood called Villa Frontera in the city of Puebla. This prompted her mother to become a volunteer search activist in order to look for her.

Why Are Volunteer Search Activists Being Killed in Mexico?

When their children go missing, mothers in Mexico often face inaction or incompetence from the government. This prompts them to form volunteer search organizations, with the goal of only finding their children and not in any way helping in finding those responsible.

Whenever they conduct their searches, they often come with police escorts, as they often get targeted by the people who may be responsible for their children's deaths. They also get anonymous tips as to where many of the bodies dumped by cartels can be found, and this would be of huge interest to the police.

While these volunteer activists make it clear they just want to find their children and not hold the criminal organizations responsible, cartels and other criminal groups are often inconvenienced by them, as these groups often seek the help of police whenever they see mass graves, forcing these criminals to find new dumping grounds for their victims. However, these groups often need police help, as police forensics are often used to identify bodies that are already in advanced states of decomposition.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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