While much of the world's attention was focused on the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Mexico City Stadium, relatives of missing persons took to the streets on June 11 to draw attention to a crisis that has gripped Mexico for decades: more than 130,000 people who have disappeared all across the country.
When Mexican authorities have been unable to provide answers, citizen groups have often stepped in to search for clues about the fate of their loved ones. Among the most prominent groups are the Madres Buscadoras, collectives made up largely of women searching for their missing relatives who, for years, have traveled to some of Mexico's most remote regions in search of clandestine graves and burial sites where many of those who disappeared have ultimately been found.
