AMERICA/MEXICO - Children missing in Veracruz: people do not report them for fear of organized crime

Saturday, 6 February 2016 bishops   violence   armed groups  

Veracruz (Agenzia Fides) - "There are many cases of kidnapping. First there was talk of 50 but it seems that at least 400 have disappeared: But most of their families have not reported the kidnappings for fear", said the father of one of the missing children, victims of drug trafficking and organized crime, who was present yesterday at the Tierra Blanca celebration. Relatives of victims of the missing children gathered at the Virgen del Carmen Parish and then took part in the Mass celebrated by the Bishop of Veracruz, His Exc. Mgr. Luis Felipe Gallardo Martín del Campo, S.D.B.. The Church has become the only point of reference for many families in search of faith and hope.

Mgr. Gallardo Martín del Campo read the list of the 23 missing persons in Tierra Blanca in recent weeks. "Some time ago it was known that the armed gang of guerrillas in Sierra Guerrero enlisted people by force. Now the fact that drug trafficking and organized crime have entered in our society there is no control, the justice system has been destroyed, there is violence everywhere. And now the authorities do not know how to stop the problem", reported the Bishop. "Not even the Church is free of this violence" continued the Bishop. "We have had more than 5 cases of abductions: priests kidnapped and then released in the middle of the fields, simply to steal their car. Two seminarians were kidnapped but luckily found: our parishes have to deal with robberies and extortions on a daily basis". (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 06/02/2016)


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