Searching for missing daughtercosts man his life

José Jesús Jiménez Gaona became an advocate for missing people and their families in his own community after the disappearance of his 23-year-old daughter, Jenny Isabel Jiménez, 2011. He was also one of the newest members of the National Search Brigade for Disappeared People, which has been active recently in the state of Veracruz.

Jímenez and his wife, Francisca Vázquez Mendoza, had reportedly been meeting with other members of the search organization regarding a second visit to the Córdoba-Amatlán region of the state, where human remains were found by the group in April.

Members of the brigade told the news website Animal Político that Jiménez and Vázquez had been members of the organization for just a month.

“What just happened to José Jesús is another example of what can happen to us, the people that are looking for their missing relatives. Unfortunately, we can end up dead, like my colleague,” said Mario Vergara, a member of The Other Disappeared from Iguala, one of the brigade’s founding organizations.

“We are very afraid because justice in this country is missing, suspended. But we try to overcome our fears so we can continue looking for our loved ones.”