As the spotlight shines on Mexico, set to host four World Cup matches next year, a city beset by construction chaos grapples with an even greater crisis: a staggering number of disappearances. Guadalajara, once a beacon of vibrant culture and life, is now a capital scarred by the country's highest number of missing persons – over 16,000 in Jalisco alone.
Behind each face plastered on posters across town, countless families are left to mourn their loved ones, never knowing what happened to them. Elda Adriana Valdez Montoya, 32, last seen in August 2020; Jordy Alejandro Cardenas Flores, 19, taken by agents from the state prosecutor's office in May 2022; Cristofer Aaron Leobardo Ramirez Camarena, 16, vanished in April 2024 – their stories are just a few among many of those etched on the city's crumbling infrastructure.
Critics say Mexico's astronomical disappearance rates can't be attributed solely to violent cartels. Rather, they point fingers at the government itself, which has been complicit in perpetuating impunity and safeguarding an environment where such crimes thrive. The 'war on drugs', launched in 2006, not only failed to resolve the issue but also set the stage for over 460,000 homicides.
The scale of the problem is staggering, with mass clandestine graves and bags containing human remains being unearthed in recent years near Guadalajara's football stadium. But with the World Cup fast approaching, local officials are determined to sanitise the city's image – including removing portraits and signs from the 'roundabout of the disappeared', thus erasing the very memories that fuel resistance.
"We've seen absolutely nothing change," Maribel Cedeno, a representative of Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, an organisation searching for missing persons in Jalisco, said. "The government's response to our case is non-existent." She demanded: "Where is our security? Where are we supposed to find justice?"
As the driver from eastern Jalisco put it, the massive influx of World Cup money into Mexico only serves as a stark contrast to the lives lost and families torn apart by the state's inaction. While authorities focus on providing security for foreign spectators, Cedeno's community remains searching for answers – their voices drowned out by the roar of football fans.
For now, Guadalajara's image is being painted with a veneer of cleanliness as construction workers tirelessly build stadiums and infrastructure. Yet beneath this façade lies a city grappling with an existential crisis – one that refuses to be silenced or disappeared altogether.
Behind each face plastered on posters across town, countless families are left to mourn their loved ones, never knowing what happened to them. Elda Adriana Valdez Montoya, 32, last seen in August 2020; Jordy Alejandro Cardenas Flores, 19, taken by agents from the state prosecutor's office in May 2022; Cristofer Aaron Leobardo Ramirez Camarena, 16, vanished in April 2024 – their stories are just a few among many of those etched on the city's crumbling infrastructure.
Critics say Mexico's astronomical disappearance rates can't be attributed solely to violent cartels. Rather, they point fingers at the government itself, which has been complicit in perpetuating impunity and safeguarding an environment where such crimes thrive. The 'war on drugs', launched in 2006, not only failed to resolve the issue but also set the stage for over 460,000 homicides.
The scale of the problem is staggering, with mass clandestine graves and bags containing human remains being unearthed in recent years near Guadalajara's football stadium. But with the World Cup fast approaching, local officials are determined to sanitise the city's image – including removing portraits and signs from the 'roundabout of the disappeared', thus erasing the very memories that fuel resistance.
"We've seen absolutely nothing change," Maribel Cedeno, a representative of Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco, an organisation searching for missing persons in Jalisco, said. "The government's response to our case is non-existent." She demanded: "Where is our security? Where are we supposed to find justice?"
As the driver from eastern Jalisco put it, the massive influx of World Cup money into Mexico only serves as a stark contrast to the lives lost and families torn apart by the state's inaction. While authorities focus on providing security for foreign spectators, Cedeno's community remains searching for answers – their voices drowned out by the roar of football fans.
For now, Guadalajara's image is being painted with a veneer of cleanliness as construction workers tirelessly build stadiums and infrastructure. Yet beneath this façade lies a city grappling with an existential crisis – one that refuses to be silenced or disappeared altogether.
. 16,000 missing persons is just crazy numbers! You'd think that with all the attention coming to Mexico for the World Cup they'd at least try to figure out what's going on and help these people's families get some answers 
.
. Removing portraits of the disappeared? That just feels like erasing their stories and memories altogether 
.
. We need to see some real change, not just a bunch of PR moves to make everything look pretty on the surface 
.
my heart goes out to all the families in Jalisco, Mexico 
i cant even imagine how hard it must be for them, losing so many loved ones 
cant we talk about this more? 
we need 2 focus on finding solutions, not erasing memories 
these missing persons posters should b kept up 4 ever, as a reminder of the struggle 
... government complicity is where it's at, and they're just gonna sweep it under the rug while the World Cup brings in cash 
. They're erasing the memories of the disappeared from public spaces 
. How about giving families justice instead of a facade? 
I mean, what's going on in Mexico? It's like they're trying to host the World Cup while ignoring their own citizens 
. 16,000 missing persons is crazy! Can't they do anything about it? 
. The fact that they're erasing the memories of the disappeared by removing posters is just... wow 
.
They deserve answers, not just some security for foreign tourists.
. It's like they're putting up a facade while the real problems are still out there...
Mexico's disappearance crisis is getting worse, over 16k people gone in Jalisco alone 
. It's all about money now with the World Cup coming, erasing memories and leaving families in dark 
. They can keep their fancy stadiums but we're still searching for answers 
Mexico's disappearance crisis is getting out of hand 
they need to focus on finding answers for these families not just securing stadiums for football fans 
it's all about the lives lost, you feel? 
it's all too convenient that the government's only concerned about polishing up Guadalajara's image before the World Cup, while they're supposed to be addressing the real issues... I mean, 16k+ people missing is a huge red flag, and they just gloss over it like it's no big deal. And what's up with all this talk of cartels? it feels like the gov's trying to pin the blame on someone else instead of facing the music about their own complicity in the whole thing...
, and man, have you ever tried matcha ice cream? It's life-changing 
I mean, I know it's not exactly relevant to the topic at hand, but come on, it's all about the soccer, right? 
i feel for the families who are searching for their loved ones day and night 
at least some people are speaking out against the government's inaction, hope they continue to raise their voices for justice 
u can tell they're more concerned about lookin good for the world cup than actually doin somethin to help the ppl who r losin loved ones 
and yeah, the government's complicity in this is super suspicious 
. And now they're erasing all the memories of those who went missing? Come on, can't they just leave it alone? It's not like they're gonna make the stadium look any better by covering up the history 
.