On Wednesday night, hundreds of mothers and relatives of missing people marched to Mexico City Stadium, carrying photos of their loved ones and demanding justice on the eve of the Fifa World Cup opening match.
The demonstration was part of a broader wave of protests seeking to capitalize on the global attention surrounding the tournament.
Families said the World Cup provides a rare opportunity to bring international attention to a crisis that has devastated communities across Mexico for years.
Many carried banners and posters with the faces of missing relatives, hoping visiting fans and journalists would see their demands.
Mexico has more than 130,000 people officially registered as missing or disappeared, according to government data.
Families have long accused authorities of failing to adequately investigate cases, forcing many relatives to search on their own.
Activists argued that while authorities have invested heavily in infrastructure and preparations for the tournament, thousands of disappearance cases remain unsolved. Relatives of the disappeared have increasingly tied their demands to World Cup-related events, saying the tournament’s spotlight offers a chance to remind the world that the crisis continues.
Organizers said they will keep pressing for answers long after the final whistle.
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