Veracruz ranked seventh nationally with the highest number of missing persons, according to the latest report from Red Lupa, a citizen-led initiative and digital platform.
As of May 16 of this year, the civil organization reports a total of 7,239 missing persons in Veracruz.
Veracruz is only surpassed by the states of Mexico, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nuevo León, and Sinaloa.
Forty-two percent of the missing persons in the country are concentrated in the states of Mexico, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, Michoacán, and Nuevo León.
Furthermore, Veracruz ranks sixth nationally among states with the highest number of missing girls and women, totaling 1,371.
The civil society platform considers the humanitarian crisis caused by disappearances in Mexico to remain a systematic and widespread practice, offering no respite to families.
Nationwide, cases increased by 4.83% compared to the same period last year. This surge consolidates an upward trend that has averaged an annual growth of 7.60% since the country surpassed the alarming threshold of 100,000 cases in 2022.
The demographics of the victims reveal patterns that reflect the extreme vulnerability of Mexican youth, with the majority of cases occurring in the 25-29 age range.
The report emphasizes the persistence of a serious gender bias: 48 percent of missing women and girls come from just five states, with the State of Mexico and Tamaulipas being the hotspots.
Given this situation, the Red Lupa network and the Mexican Institute for Human Rights and Democracy reiterated their call to authorities to review public policies on search and prevention.
Source: eluniversal
