One week after the disappearance of four tourists from Ixtlahuaca, State of Mexico, in the port of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Gregorio Ramírez, father of three of the young men and father-in-law of the fourth, demanded the direct intervention of the State of Mexico government to pressure Sinaloa authorities and expedite their search. The family member stated that, to date, they have seen no concrete results in the search efforts and accused the responsible agencies of negligence.
The events occurred when the family traveled to Mazatlán to celebrate the 50th birthday of Gregorio Ramírez’s wife. What was supposed to be a relaxing trip turned into tragedy after three of his sons and his son-in-law were abducted.
Since then, Sinaloa authorities have reported that they are maintaining search operations; however, the family members assert that there has been no visible progress or clear information about the young men’s whereabouts.
“We came to see the governor so she can support us in the search for my children and my son-in-law. We went to Mazatlán to have a good time as tourists, to celebrate a special birthday, and my children never returned,” recounted the father, who came accompanied by neighbors and friends to request institutional support.
Gregorio Ramírez stated that the family has repeatedly approached Mazatlán authorities, but he felt the response has been limited.
“They tell us they are searching, but frankly, I don’t trust them because what they say doesn’t seem true,” he expressed.
Given this situation, he asked the governor of the State of Mexico to intervene to ensure effective coordination between the states. “We want her to put pressure on Sinaloa from here, to speak there so they see that we have the support of our governor,” he said.
He indicated that the only institutional support received in the State of Mexico has been from the mayor of Ixtlahuaca, Guadalupe Díaz, who referred the case to various agencies, although he asserted that these efforts have not yet resulted in concrete actions.
The father also warned about the risks for those traveling to Mazatlán, noting that this type of incident generates fear among visitors.
“We were going to have a pleasant time, and three of my children and my son-in-law were kidnapped. People planning to go should think twice before going,” he commented.
He also warned that if they do not receive attention from the authorities, they could intensify their protests.
“The neighbors and many other people support me, and if they don’t listen to us, we are going to block highways in several states,” he stated.
He explained that one of his sons is a truck driver and has the support of fellow truck drivers, as well as people from Hidalgo, Querétaro and Michoacán, so he did not rule out simultaneous blockades as a pressure tactic to force the authorities to act.
Source: oem
