The United Nations (UN) demanded an expedited investigation and protection for search mothers. This after the murder of Patricia Negrete Tafoya on June 23, and three other searchers deprived of life in 2026 in Guanajuato.
UN demands
Andrea Bolaños Vargas, UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders, described the murder of Patricia Negrete as worrying. She belonged to the collective “Una Promesa por Complir” and was looking for her sister Laura Angélica, missing since January 5, 2021.
“Patricia is the fourth searcher defender murdered in Guanajuato in 2026. The fifth in Mexico this year,” she published on her social network.
Patricia Negrete was attacked with shots last Sunday night near the Pénjamo Regional Hospital, where she worked as mayor.
The rapporteur expressed solidarity with the searcher groups and recognized their work in a violent context. He urged the Mexican State to investigate with a gender perspective, prioritize violence against women defenders and guarantee effective protection. He also asked to clarify the whereabouts of three missing searchers.
Last goodbye to Paty
Between flowers and applause, family, friends and mothers of the group said goodbye to “Paty” at the Municipal Pantheon. Dozens attended a mass at the Temple of San Miguel Arcángel and then the procession. They remembered her as a sensitive person who fought for more than five years looking for her sister. Human rights defenders expressed solidarity with her family.




