Mexico activist murder prompts Amnesty International call to protect searchers

Amnesty International urged Mexican authorities to strengthen protection for families who search for missing relatives after the killing of Patricia Negrete Tafoya, a member of the "Una Promesa por Cumplir" collective, in the state of Guanajuato. The organization said the homicide "cannot be understood as an isolated incident" and called for an immediate, thorough, independent investigation, stressing that searchers—most of whom are women—face constant threats and violence while performing a duty that should be ensured by the state.

Negrete was shot in Pénjamo while looking for her sister, Laura Angélica Negrete Tafoya, who has been missing since 2021. Her body was found near a motorcycle close to the Hospital General de la colonia Las Américas. Amnesty also demanded that the perpetrators be identified and punished, that the victim’s family receive reparations, and that broader measures be taken to guard all searcher groups across Mexico, where more than 133,000 people remain missing.