Between January and April 2025, Mexico recorded a total of 5,225 missing persons, representing a 26 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to figures released by the National Action Party (PAN). This equates to an average of 42 disappearances per day, a figure that has raised concerns about the direction of security policy in the country.
The PAN’s secretary general in Mexico City, Héctor Barrera, explained that in at least 11 states, disappearances exceeded homicides in the first quarter of the year. He said that in the country’s capital, for example, 581 disappearances were recorded compared to 242 homicides. Similar situations are observed in states such as the State of Mexico (611 disappearances compared to 481 homicides) and Tamaulipas (110 disappearances compared to 74 homicides).
Barrera suggested that this behavior could reflect a change in the dynamics of violence, where victims are disappearing rather than direct murders. He also warned of the possibility of homicides being reclassified as disappearances, which could be distorting public perceptions of security.
The federal government has reported that intentional homicides have decreased by 24.9 percent and has noted that April 2025 had the lowest daily average for this crime since 2016. However, the PAN points out that this reduction may not reflect a real improvement considering the increase in disappearances.
In the first seven months of the current federal government, led by Claudia Sheinbaum, 15,905 disappearances have been recorded, of which almost half—7,825—remain unresolved. This represents an average of 75 disappearances per day, according to data presented by the opposition.
The most affected age groups include adolescents and young people. Disappearances among 10- to 14-year-olds increased 72 percent between May 2024 and May 2025, while the increase among 15- to 19-year-olds was 63.6 percent. The 25- to 29-year-old group historically remains the group with the highest number of cases.
Comparatively, disappearances have increased by six years. During Vicente Fox’s administration, 914 cases were reported; under Felipe Calderón, 16,889; under Enrique Peña Nieto, 32,682; and under Andrés Manuel López Obrador, 53,261. This equates to a daily average of 0.4, 7.7, 14.9, and 30 disappearances, respectively.
PAN National Executive Committee spokesperson Jorge Triana noted that the current administration could even surpass its predecessor’s figures. He questioned the federal government’s security strategy and charged that there is a climate of impunity where “criminals dictate the conditions.”
Source: cronica
