More than 100,000 people are missing in Mexico. Maria Herrera is the founder of Find Relatives. On May 25, she came up to greet the Pope at the end of the public reception hosted by the Pope. “I implore the Pope to say a few words of encouragement to bless all mothers who are searching for their missing children,” she said.
(Vatican News Network)Maria Herrera of Mexico is a weather-beaten mother who is tirelessly searching for her four missing sons. The first two were businessmen who disappeared in the state of Guerrero in 2008 with five of their colleagues. Two years later, two other sons also disappeared while assisting in the investigation into their brother’s disappearance. “They were all taken away by the police,” Herrera said. Perhaps, she was right.
The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances released a report on April 12 this year. “Public officials and organized criminal gangs are responsible for the growing number of enforced disappearances in Mexico,” the report said. The committee also urged the government to take direct steps to end impunity for offenders and to promote national policies that prevent enforced disappearances.
About 100,000 people are missing, according to the Mexican government. In 2014, Herrera founded Find Relatives. After she founded the organization, she learned that enforced disappearances were a widespread problem throughout Mexico. “A lot of mothers have pictures of relatives they’re looking for,” Herrera said in an interview with this news network. “We’ve made this issue visible to people both nationally and internationally.” However, the tragedy of enforced disappearance did not end. Human rights activists, priests and journalists have been killed or disappeared. “For us, it was excruciatingly painful because the people who tried to assist us, shout with us, were silenced,” Herrera explained.
Herrera came to greet the Pope on May 25 this year at the end of a public reception hosted by Pope Francis on Wednesday. “I implore the Pope to say a few words of encouragement to bless all mothers who are searching for their missing children,” she said.
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