Mexican Authorities Discover 72 Bodies in Clandestine Graves in Chihuahua
Clandestine graves in Chihuahua, Mexico, Jan. 29, 2025. X/ @raflescabrera
January 29, 2025 Hour: 12:26 pm
This discovery highlights the disappearance crisis in Mexico, with over 120,000 people missing across the country.
On Wednesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that authorities in the state of Chihuahua are investigating the discovery of 72 bodies in clandestine graves located in the community of El Willi, in the municipality of Casas Grandes, over the past week.
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“We are working on it. As far as I understand, the Chihuahua Prosecutor’s Office itself is investigating,” she said during her morning press conference.
When asked whether the federal government had information about the discovery of bodies near the U.S. border, Sheinbaum stated that national authorities are in contact with the Chihuahua government and its Prosecutor’s Office to determine what was found and how they can assist.
The Mexican president noted that identifying the human remains is complicated, as they could be undocumented migrants. “It is difficult to obtain that information in a single day. First, a forensic investigation is conducted, and then efforts are made to determine what events they were linked to,” she pointed out.
On Saturday, the Chihuahua State Prosecutor’s Office reported the discovery of the bodies following efforts that began on Tuesday, January 21.
According to data from international organizations, nearly 5,700 clandestine graves exist in Mexico, where human rights activists and authorities have discovered approximately 53,000 human remains that were being stored awaiting identification as of late 2022.
These discoveries highlight the disappearance crisis in Mexico, with more than 120,000 people missing across the country, according to data from the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons.
teleSUR/ JF Source: EFE