December 19, 2012 Saltillo, Coahuila
Three years ago we, who integrate the United Forces for our Disappeared in Coahuila, decided to speak out, organize ourselves and denounce the disappearance of our loved ones; we did this in a context where both authorities from the Institutionalized Revolutionary Party and the National Action party participated through collaboration and/or negligence in these crimes at the state and federal level. Both levels of government and both parties stained our homes with darkness, terror and impunity.
A first group of 11 families, who at that time were looking for twenty one loved ones, gathered together on December 19, 2009. Currently, we are looking for 290 missing persons in December 2012.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the State of Coahuila has registered nearly 1,600 people missing in our State. Collusion, permissiveness, corruption and ambition of a myriad of local officials, federal and state authorities have made this tragedy possible. The responsibility of the public servants is unquestionable, starting with former President Calderon and former Governor Humberto Moreira, who must be judged for not protecting the human rights of thousands of families in our country. These public authorities should no longer be protected by the veil of impunity that characterizes Mexican politicians, who have perverted the essence of what should be a rule of law.
The path we undertook in December 2009 is painful; but we walk with dignity. We are driven by the love we have for those who have been forcibly uprooted from our homes. We will continue to seek tirelessly for them. Our demands are: 1. Immediate search for the disappeared 2. Formation of a national database of the disappeared 3. Structural attention by the Attorney-General to all cases of disappearances. 4. Creation of a Special Prosecutor’s Office for the disappeared at federal level 5. Creation and implementation of protocols for investigation and search of disappeared persons 6. Implementation of a federal programme for attention to the families of the disappeared 7. Acceptance of the recommendations of the preliminary report of the UN working group on forced disappearance.
In this painful process, we found hundreds of men and women in solidarity both in Mexico and in other countries of the world, and this encourages our walk. We have managed to raise the level of commitment with the current Governor of Coahuila, who has pledged to facilitate the creation of a working group with the participation of national and international experts to support us in our search, the reclassification of the crime of forced disappearance as well as in the creation of a law on the matter and a law for the protection of victims. At the federal level, we made the Mexican State Department (SEGOB) and the current Mexican president to commit to our demands. The latter has agreed to resume collaboration with us and hopefully will act on our demands.
With the deep pain that causes a wound in our hearts, we will continue to stand with dignity to demand that our disappeared are found alive.
“With a relentless pursuit”
United Forces for Our Disappeared in Coahuila
No More Blood in Mexico 