On Monday, March 16, Jojutla once again became the epicenter of the search for the disappeared in Morelos. With an ecumenical ceremony laden with symbolism, groups like “Regresando a Casa Morelos” (Returning Home Morelos) and state authorities began the fifth phase of exhumations at the mass grave belonging to the State Attorney General’s Office.
The day began with the demolition of a deteriorated perimeter wall that, due to its risk of collapse, had been preventing the recovery of skeletal remains exposed since the previous phase.
“This week we are going to remove the wall that has halted all our search efforts,” said Lorena Reza Garduño, who has been searching for her brother for 18 years.
Lorena Rezagarduño, quien busca a su hermano desde hace 18 años, habló sobre el derribo del muro perimetral en el panteón Pedro Amaro de Jojutla, previo a la quinta intervención en la fosa de la Fiscalía de Morelos
Angelina Albarrán | El Sol de Cuernavacahttps://t.co/EJUWokbGo6 pic.twitter.com/upp5vcbaut— El Sol de Cuernavaca (@SolDeCuernavaca) March 16, 2026
For the families, this space is sacred. Deacon Arturo Díaz, who led the prayer, recalled that the soil of Jojutla is “consecrated by the bodies that speak to us of a truth that can no longer remain hidden.”
The groups clarified in their manifesto that they are not there for a symbolic act, but for a comprehensive plan to stop the accumulation of pain and impunity.
March 16-20: Removal of structures (tents) and manual demolition of the perimeter fence. In this phase, the skeletal remains already visible will be removed “manually and carefully.”
April 20-May 22: Intensive period of forensic work, search, and deep exhumation.
From May 25 onward: Extraordinary phase if the work is not completed within the planned timeframe.
Colectivos de buscadoras realizan ceremonia y protesta en el panteón Pedro Amaro, en Jojutla, en memoria de sus seres desaparecidos
— El Sol de Cuernavaca (@SolDeCuernavaca) March 16, 2026
Angelina Albarrán | El Sol de Cuernavacahttps://t.co/EJUWokbGo6 pic.twitter.com/nohtMzniME
Six groups of Searching Mothers issued a petition directly to the Governor of Morelos, Margarita González Saravia, and Attorney General Uriel Carmona:
Direct meeting with the governor: They request to be heard directly, under the premise that “putting the house in order” implies addressing the forensic crisis.
Comprehensive, not isolated, plan: They demand that the intervention in Jojutla have public goals, deadlines, and complete transparency.
Openness of the Forensic Medical Services (SEMEFO): They request that the handling of bodies be subject to public scrutiny and the participation of independent experts.
Intervention of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR): They urge the Attorney General’s Office to stop ignoring them, given that it possesses the largest DNA database in the country.
The families’ main complaint is the lack of punishment for public officials involved in the irregular burials. To date, there have been zero convictions. They denounce that justice has been so slow that many crimes have already passed the statute of limitations, allowing those responsible to go free while the SEMEFOs continue to accumulate nameless stories.
Source: OEM
