9 August 2024, Mexico City – Thousands of people in Mexico and Central America are searching for a missing loved one, and many have died without finding them, taking the anguish of their absence and the dream of seeing them again to their grave.
At the inauguration in Mexico of the touring exhibition Weaving Memory: The Legacy of Those Who Never Stopped Searching, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) pointed out that regardless of the time elapsed or the circumstances of the disappearance, governments are obliged to conduct an effective and coordinated search to provide answers to the families and alleviate their suffering.
“No person should have to die not knowing what happened to their missing loved one. The exhibition pays tribute to those who left this world with the pain of uncertainty,” said Olivier Dubois, head of the ICRC’s regional delegation for Mexico and Central America.
“This exhibition invites us to reflect on the longing to find them, and it highlights the importance of the community in terms of the recognition, affection, solidarity and support it provides. These lives spent searching leave a legacy to those who come after: families who decide to continue what their mothers, fathers or friends started, who inherit from them the search, the activism and the pain. Perseverance becomes part of their identity, passed down from generation to generation,” said Dubois.
For the ICRC, the death of every person denied their right to know is a motivation to redouble efforts to search for and locate missing people, and a reminder that the authorities are responsible for this search, which must be ongoing.
The exhibition seeks to draw attention to the painful reality of missing people’s families. It also honours the legacy of those who in their lifetime dedicated themselves to the search; their efforts today give strength to their families and friends, who tirelessly continue their work.
Communities often report that a family member has died still searching, whether due to old age, untreated illness or violence. Jannet Carmona, coordinator of the ICRC’s missing people’s programme in Mexico, noted that the impact on the physical and psychosocial health of families is profound and requires a comprehensive response. “In addition to their right to participate in search actions, families also have the right to access immediate relief measures, assistance and care, including medical and psychological services, as well as security when necessary,” she said.
“Authorities must launch searches immediately and keep up their efforts to increase the likelihood of finding the people and to alleviate families’ suffering. From the time of the disappearance and throughout the process, search actions must continue until the missing person’s whereabouts, and what happened to them, is known. Governments must ensure appropriate procedures are in place and facilitate the continuation of the search in cases where the family member searching has died,” said Carmona.
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