Macabre discovery in the capital of Mexico: more than 1,000 bone fragments were found near Lake Chalco
Mexican authorities and a volunteer organization have announced that they have found more than 1,000 bone fragments near Lake Chalco in Mexico City, in a case that brings back to the fore the extent of the violence generated by the war on drug cartels. The discovery comes just weeks before the city is set to host World Cup matches, CBS News reports.
Missing persons posters in Guadalajara photo shutterstock
Prosecutors announced that, following exhumations that began recently, approximately 300 bone fragments were identified, which could belong to three people. However, a collective of families searching for their missing relatives claims to have discovered more than 1,000 fragments, including in areas already inspected by the authorities.
The volunteer group described the situation as a “devastating reality” and talked about a “medico-legal crisis of incalculable dimensions”accusing the authorities of trying to minimize the seriousness of the situation. Activists are calling for continued investigations until the site is fully examined.
While “the authorities want this to go unnoticed, the families want the whole world to know about the tragedy taking place in the country's capital“, the group said in a statement.
Mexico's missing persons crisis is one of great proportions: more than 480,000 people have been killed and an estimated 130,000 missing since 2006, when the government mobilized the military against the cartels. A UN committee cataloged the phenomenon right “crime against humanity”, citing the lack of action by the authorities regarding the recovery of human remains.
“International law does not require that crimes against humanity occur at the national level or be orchestrated at the highest levels of government,” commission president Juan Albán-Alencastro said in a statement. “What matters is the scale, the systematic nature of the attacks and the fact that they target civilians.”
Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, dismissed the criticism, saying the UN report did not take into account new policies implemented to support victims' families.
Meanwhile, protests have taken place in both Mexico's capital and Guadalajara, another World Cup host city, where activists denounce the authorities' failure to investigate the disappearances. The state of Jalisco, where Guadalajara is located, is heavily affected by cartel activity, especially the Jalisco New Generation cartel, with 15,900 cases of missing persons registered.
The cartel has been accused of using fake job ads to attract new members and of torturing and killing resisting recruits.
In February, Mexican military forces killed Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel and one of the most wanted drug lords in the United States, sparking a wave of violence.
Human remains are frequently found in Jalisco, sometimes in clandestine graves. Earlier this month, the remains of at least 11 people were found in graves dug in Ixtlahuacan, a suburb of Guadalajara. Last October, dozens of bags containing human remains were discovered and recovered from a hidden grave near Guadalajara.
