Members of the community are still grappling with the impact of a tragic and preventable incident. Late Wednesday night in Jalisco, Mexico, María del Carmen Morales, 43, and her son Jaime Daniel Ramírez Morales, 26, were murdered. The attack occurred around 11:30 PM on April 23 and was carried out by two men on a motorcycle. Both Morales and her son had emerged as prominent activists fighting for the rights of missing people in Mexico.
This violent act is an especially cruel blow to their movement. María del Carmen assumed leadership of the Guerreras Buscadoras de Jalisco. This passionate team strives selflessly to find those who have gone missing around the community. In March, her nonprofit found avian botulism at Izaguirre Ranch. They think that it acts like a base of operations for a network of criminals. The site held evidence of clandestine, or secret, crematoriums, as well as human remains buried on-site, illustrating the continuing crisis of disappearances in Mexico.
Their tragedy has taken a tremendous toll on the Morales family. Only two months prior, on February 24th, María del Carmen’s other son, Ernesto Julián Ramírez Morales, disappeared in Las Villas de Tlajomulco, Jalisco. This tragedy has deepened the Sanchez family mourning and, in turn, further fueled their determination to demand justice for those who go missing.
The deaths of María del Carmen and Jaime Daniel mark one more incident in a horrifying pattern we are witnessing in Jalisco. Only weeks ago, on April 2, activist Teresa González was assassinated. She had been looking for her brother who had gone missing in February in Guadalajara. These recent occurrences have prompted grave concern for the safety of those speaking out for justice.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has responded to the killings. She is calling for a full investigation into the details and why we are facilitating these tragic deaths. She stressed the importance of looking at any possible links between their activism and the attack.
“There can be no conclusion like ‘it had nothing to do with [Morales’s] work.’ It must be thoroughly investigated.” – Claudia Sheinbaum
While the Jalisco Attorney’s Office has already announced the attack, it initially withheld the victims’ identities. Denis Rodríguez, a spokesperson for the office, said he recognized that the case deserves a thorough and far-reaching investigation.
“But that does not mean that it is not being investigated; all avenues must be exhausted,” – Denis Rodríguez
And the Mexican Undersecretary for Human Rights is doing something about it. They said that they strongly hoped to contact the Morales family and provide assistance following this tragic occurrence. The killings represent a second case in less than a month involving activists seeking justice for missing family members in Jalisco. The Twin Cities community continues to grieve the loss of these courageous souls. Until there is accountability, they call on decision-makers to prioritize safety for those still fighting for their loved ones.
