Acknowledgments
This report was written by Nik Steinberg, senior researcher for the Americas at Human Rights Watch. The report was edited by Daniel Wilkinson, managing director of the Americas Division, José Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the Americas Division, Joe Saunders, deputy program director, and Aisling Reidy, senior legal advisor. Daniel Wilkinson, emergencies researcher Dan Williams, and Americas researcher Stephanie Morin participated in fact-finding missions for this report. Associates Mariana Dambolena and Sylvie Stein contributed to the logistics and production. Interns Teresa Cantero, Lucy McDonald-Stewart, Ashley Morse, Paula Lekanda, Montserrat Paula López Skoknic, and Carolyn Smalkowski all provided valuable research support. Grace Choi designed the report’s maps and layout, and Fitzroy Hepkins provided production assistance. Brian Root provided assistance with data analysis. Gabriela Haymes translated the report into Spanish.
Human Rights Watch is profoundly grateful to the families of the disappeared who shared their testimonies with us. As this report demonstrates, disappearances inflict deep and lasting suffering on people whose loved ones have been taken—suffering that is exacerbated by the fact that the fate of the victims remains unknown. Recounting such stories is often extremely painful and requires individuals to overcome a well-founded fear of reprisals. Families often journeyed great distances to meet with our researchers, in some cases traveling along the same roads where their loved ones were abducted. It was with great courage that these families spoke to us. Many of them expressed the hope that, by telling their stories, others would be spared the abuses and pain they had suffered.
Many Mexican organizations and individuals collaborated in the research for this report, and we are deeply indebted to them for their contributions. These partners played a critical role in providing expert guidance and advice, as well as assisting with the documentation of both individual cases and broader patterns of abuse. The organizations and individuals include, but are not limited to, the following:
In Mexico City (and in the states where they documented cases): the Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center (Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Augustín Pro Juárez); the Mexican Commission of Defense and Human Rights Promotion (Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos); the Foundation for Justice and the Rule of Law (Fundación para la Justicia y el Estado Democrático de Derecho); FUNDAR, Center of Analysis and Research (FUNDAR, Centro de Análisis e Investigación); the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad); United Efforts for Our Disappeared in Mexico (Fuerzas Unidas por Nuestros Desaparecidos (as) en México, FUNDEM); Stephanie Erin Brewer, Ana Paula Hernández, and Paulina Vega.
In Coahuila: United Efforts for Our Disappeared in Coahuila (Fuerzas Unidas por Nuestros Desaparecidos en Coahuila, FUUNDEC); Fray Juan de Larios Human Rights Center (Centro Diocesano de Derechos Humanos “Fray Juan de Larios”); Bishop Raúl Vera López; Casa del Migrante Saltillo; Centro de Derechos Humanos Juan Gerardi A.C. in Torreón.
In Guanajuato: Angel López of the Victoria Diez Human Rights Center (Centro de Derechos Humanos Victoria Diez, A.C.).
In Guerrero: the Tlachinollan Center for Human Rights in the Montaña (Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña Tlachinollan); the Guerrero Coalition of Civilian Human Rights Organizations (Red Guerrerense de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos); and the Workshop of Community Development (Taller de Desarrollo Comunitario, TADECO).
In Nuevo León: Citizens in Support of Human Rights (Ciudadanos en Apoyo de los Derechos Humanos, CADHAC), and Sanjuana Martínez.
In San Luis Potosí: Education and Citizenship (Educación y Ciudadanía, A.C.), Martín Faz Mora, and Ricardo Sánchez García.
In Tamaulipas, the Nuevo Laredo Committee of Human Rights (Comité de Derechos Humanos de Nuevo Laredo).
Human Rights Watch appreciates the willingness of the National Human Rights Commission to provide information for this report (particularly statistics related to disappearances). The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico provided expert analysis on the efforts of the federal and state governments to criminalize enforced disappearances.
Finally, Human Rights Watch would like to thank the government officials who agreed to be interviewed, particularly the state authorities and prosecutor’s offices in Coahuila and Nuevo León for their openness and cooperation, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its assistance in setting up several meetings with government officials.
