Cecilia Flores Leads 4-Year Search for Son in Sinaloa, Becoming Voice of Mexico's Disappeared
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Cecilia Flores Leads 4-Year Search for Son in Sinaloa, Becoming Voice of Mexico's Disappeared
4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 14
53-year-old Cecilia Flores led mothers, archaeologists and criminologists in April to dig trenches up to 4 feet deep and 180 feet long in northern Sinaloa for missing people.
Flores has searched the field on and off for four years after an anonymous tip said the remains of her son Alejandro, who disappeared in 2015 at age 21, were there.
Her search has made her one of Mexico's best-known "madres buscadoras" — mothers who look for disappeared relatives as authorities struggle to solve cases.
Founder of groups including Madres Buscadoras de Sonora, Flores emerged as a national voice for families of the disappeared after both of her sons vanished.
Having just found one son's remains, how does Cecilia Flores sustain her search for thousands more?
With the UN citing 'crimes against humanity,' can Mexico's new government actually stop the disappearances?
Mexico’s Disappeared: Inside the Madres Buscadoras’ Fight Against Impunity and the Crisis of 131,853 Missing Persons
Overview
Ceci Patricia Flores, after losing her sons in 2015 and 2019, became a leading activist, voicing the frustration of families facing the Mexican authorities’ inaction as the number of missing persons soared due to cartel violence. Her persistent advocacy, together with the Madres Buscadoras de Sonora collective, has kept the crisis of disappearances in the public eye. These mothers, driven by personal loss, search tirelessly for their loved ones, often in dangerous conditions. Their efforts highlight both the scale of the tragedy and the urgent need for accountability, showing the power of community action in the face of systemic challenges.