Mexico and Uruguay expand search mechanisms for missing persons

In Mexico, the State System for Integral Family Development (SEDIF) has reinforced the search for missing women, adolescents and girls through the inter‑institutional Protocolo Alba. The protocol enables rapid coordination between SEDIF, the state prosecutor's office and the State Search Commission, allowing reports via written complaint, oral statement or the 9‑1‑1 emergency line. SEDIF also provides legal assistance and counseling to families, part of the broader security strategy promoted by Governor Alejandro Armenta Mier and President‑elect Claudia Sheinbaum.

The state of San Luis Potosí reported one of the nation's highest locate‑tion rates, crediting enhanced human and material resources and citizen cooperation that led to the recent recovery of a woman reported missing since 2022. In Oaxaca, Governor Salomón Jara Cruz announced a new State Search Programme, citing over 290 successful locate‑tions and more than 10,000 search actions, as well as the acquisition of specialized field equipment and a second brigade for interviews and genetic sampling.

Uruguay is preparing to launch an Amber Alert system for children at imminent risk. The platform will disseminate a child's photo and details within minutes across official websites, social media, police checkpoints and, eventually, mobile cell‑broadcast messages. Activation requires a police report and judicial authorization, and the system limits alerts to high‑risk cases to preserve effectiveness.

Separately, Mexico's Health Ministry has opened an online portal to help families locate victims of the June 24 earthquakes, providing real‑time hospital and treatment‑center information based on patient records entered by medical staff.