Official Leading Search for Mexico's Missing Resigns

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Facts

  • Karla Quintana, the head of Mexico's National Search Commission— tasked with finding tens of thousands of people who have disappeared in the country amid cartel violence — announced her resignation Wednesday.1
  • Although she didn't disclose the reason behind the sudden exit, Karla said she was leaving 'in light of current circumstances.' Pres. Andrés Manuel López Obrador confirmed the Harvard-educated human rights lawyer's resignation on Thursday.2
  • In 2022, the special prosecutor leading an investigation into the 2014 abduction and disappearances of 43 students in southern Mexico also abruptly resigned, citing disagreements with the Attorney General's Office.3
  • Karla's resignation comes as Obrador faces criticism over his plans to carry out a census of the disappeared amid worries from some that the government may rig data to present a decrease in Mexicans missing ahead of the 2024 presidential elections.4
  • More than 110K people remain missing across the country, mostly since 2006 when former Pres. Felipe Calderón declared a war against drug cartels. The issue of Mexico's missing people is particularly sensitive as political parties gear up to nominate their candidates in less than two weeks.2
  • More than 40K disappearances have been reported under López Obrador, a figure higher than in the past two administrations. According to the UN, impunity is 'almost absolute' in missing person cases in Mexico.5

Sources: 1EL PAÍS English, 2FT, 3Associated Press, 4Al Jazeera and 5Mexico News Daily.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Latina Republic. Given that the López Obrador government has made an unprecedented effort to search for tens of thousands of missing Mexicans and support victims' relatives, allocating a significant and landmark budget, attempts to find a conspiracy in Karla's resignation are ill-founded.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Foreign Policy. López Obrador vowed to spare no effort or resources to achieve justice for the disappeared when he took office in 2018. He is still claiming that his government is committed to the search. However, little has changed in the country as institutional neglect, corruption, and impunity persist in Mexico.