Sheinbaum Pushes Back on UN Claim, Says Disappearances in Mexico Are 'Not Crimes Against Humanity'

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected a United Nations assessment that enforced disappearances in Mexico could amount to crimes against humanity, arguing that such a classification does not apply because there are "no systematic attacks by the State."

Speaking at her daily press conference on Tuesday, Sheinbaum said the definition used by the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances does not reflect Mexico's current reality.

"That is something else," she said, referring to crimes against humanity, as El País reports. "There are no systematic attacks against the civilian population by the State." She added that disappearances in Mexico are primarily linked to organized crime rather than government policy.

The remarks follow a report published last week by the UN committee, which concluded there are "well-founded indications" that enforced disappearances in Mexico have occurred in a "widespread or systematic" manner and could constitute crimes against humanity.

The committee said the scale of the crisis—more than 130,000 people reported missing—reflects structural conditions that allow impunity and, in some cases, alleged involvement or complicity of public officials.

Sheinbaum rejected those findings, saying the report failed to account for government efforts to address the issue. "We are working on it and we want to eradicate this crime," she said. "We are helping to search for those who have been reported as disappeared. That was not taken into account in the committee's analysis." She also questioned the report's scope, arguing it relied on limited cases and did not reflect recent actions by her administration.

Mexico's Foreign Ministry has similarly criticized the UN report as "partial and biased," stating that it omits institutional efforts, including search commissions, specialized prosecutors, and legislative reforms. Authorities have emphasized cooperation with victims' families and international organizations while rejecting the characterization of the crisis as state-driven.

The UN committee, however, said its findings are based on years of collected information, including data from civil society, state responses, and past reviews. While it noted no evidence of a federal policy to carry out enforced disappearances, it stated that such crimes can still qualify as crimes against humanity if they are part of broader patterns involving state agents or organized groups.

Sheinbaum maintained that Mexico is not "overwhelmed" by the crisis and reiterated her government's commitment to accountability. "The Government of Mexico is making an effort to eradicate this crime and to find the disappeared together with their families," she said.