Mexico City Searcher Families Travel to Guadalajara for Peaceful March Ahead of Mexico vs. South Korea Match
Mexico City, June 18, 2026 – Sixteen searcher families from Mexico City traveled to Jalisco on Thursday to join a mobilization coinciding with the Mexico vs. South Korea World Cup 2026 match. The objective of this peaceful protest is to raise awareness about cases of disappeared persons and support search collectives in Jalisco.
The collective Una Luz en el Camino reported that the families departed from the capital at 5:30 AM, using their own resources to travel to the Guadalajara Stadium, also known as Akron Stadium, where the protest is scheduled to take place. There, the searchers will participate in a “peaceful march for visibility and in support of the Jalisco Collectives.”
Previous Protests and Ongoing Demands
This action follows a similar protest held a week prior, during the World Cup inauguration, near the Mexico City Stadium and other locations in the capital. On June 11, while the Mexico vs. South Africa match was being played at the Estadio Ciudad de México, search collectives demonstrated outside, demanding the location of their disappeared loved ones and denouncing the lack of results from authorities.
On Thursday, the collectives moved their demands to a new World Cup venue, aiming to keep the issue visible throughout the tournament. Among the slogans disseminated for the mobilization are: “No to oblivion and criminalization,” “If Mexico knows, the world should know,” and “Mexico is a champion in disappearance.”
“With these slogans, we intend to continue dignifying the memory of those we are missing at home and demanding the search for our loved ones!” they explained.
Official Accompaniment and Broader Participation
The families also reported that their journey is being accompanied by the National Search Commission (CNB), authorities from the Ministry of Interior, and with monitoring from the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. “In a demand to guarantee our safety and integrity, we intend to arrive in Jalisco and then return safely to CDMX,” they stated.
Representatives from collectives in Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz, and Tamaulipas are also expected to join the mobilization, highlighting the widespread nature of the issue across Mexico.
Context of Disappearances in Mexico
The issue of disappeared persons remains a critical human rights concern in Mexico. Searcher families, often composed of mothers, fathers, siblings, and children of the disappeared, have been at the forefront of efforts to locate their loved ones and demand justice. These mobilizations during high-profile events like the World Cup aim to draw international attention to the crisis and pressure authorities for more effective action.
The government has faced criticism for its handling of disappearance cases, with many families reporting bureaucratic hurdles, insufficient resources, and a lack of transparency in investigations. The participation of the National Search Commission and other government bodies in accompanying the families to Guadalajara indicates a level of official acknowledgment, though activists continue to push for more substantial progress.
The choice of a World Cup venue for the protest underscores the families’ determination to use platforms that garner significant public and media attention, both nationally and internationally. By linking the global spectacle of football with the grim reality of disappearances, they hope to amplify their voices and ensure that the plight of thousands of missing individuals is not overlooked.
The families’ journey to Guadalajara represents a continued effort to keep the issue of disappeared persons on the national agenda, emphasizing that while the country celebrates a major sporting event, many homes remain incomplete and many questions unanswered.
Source: https://www.proceso.com.mx/nacional/cdmx/2026/6/18/familias-buscadoras-de-cdmx-viajan-a-guadalajara-por-marcha-pacifica-previo-al-partido-mexico-vs-cor-374277.html
