Chihuahua, Chihuahua August 16, 2023.- Today, a collaborative agreement was signed between the Government of the state of Chihuahua, through the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE), the Center for Women’s Human Rights (CEDEHM), and the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF). This agreement is a continuation of the one signed in 2019, with the goal of strengthening the capabilities for addressing and searching for victims of disappearance.

The signing of this agreement seeks to continue with the development of joint activities in the framework of the “Justice for Disappeared Persons in Chihuahua” program. This program is made possible through the support of the United States, provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program, developed in 2018 by CEDEHM and the EAAF, aims to improve expertise related to cases of disappeared individuals by coordinating efforts and strengthening expert services through constant training. These areas of expertise include investigation, search operations, identification processes, legal procedures, and responses.

Within the scope of the project and with the collaborative efforts of the EAAF, along with the National and Local Search Commission and the FGE, significant forensic identifications of individuals have been accomplished. This progress has been made possible through the collection of DNA samples from family members of disappeared individuals, which were processed to establish matches with bone remains collected throughout the state of Chihuahua.

We hope that this collaboration with the State Government will lead to improved conditions to access truth, justice, and comprehensive reparations for the over 3500 disappeared individuals in Chihuahua.