San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
December 12th, 2025
Press Release No. 11
Case of Antonio González Méndez before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: One Year After the Landmark Judgment
Neither the investigations nor the search efforts have been diligent or effective.
Compliance with the judgment has not been properly prioritized by the Mexican State.
On December 12th, 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) issued its judgment condemning the Mexican State for the enforced disappearance of Antonio González Méndez, a support base of the EZLN, who disappeared on January 18th, 1999, in the municipality of Sabanilla, Chiapas, at the hands of members of the paramilitary group “Organización Desarrollo Paz y Justicia” (Organization for Development, Peace, and Justice) within the context of the implementation of the Chiapas 94 Campaign Plan, a campaign of counterinsurgency violence.
The judgment reaffirmed that enforced disappearances committed in the context of the Internal Armed Conflict, which began on January 1st, 1994, are not subject to a statute of limitations and obliges the Mexican State to provide accountability. This ruling sets a historic precedent for other victims of serious human rights violations.
Approaching the 27th anniversary of his disappearance, the Mexican State continues with superficial, administrative procedures aimed at a fruitless investigation. Neither the search nor the investigations have been diligent or effective in locating Antonio González Méndez. What the State Prosecutor’s Office considers the hypothesis of his disappearance at the hands of a paramilitary group reveals a case that remains unresolved. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ ruling, which already accepts this hypothesis and holds the Mexican State responsible for supporting paramilitary groups in the region, continues to be ignored. All of this raises doubts about the seriousness of the State’s commitment. It is essential to fully clarify what happened and to identify, prosecute, and, where appropriate, punish all the intellectual and material authors of this crime against humanity.
The Mexican government’s obligation must not remain merely symbolic or on paper; the investigation must have clear lines of inquiry that identify those responsible, both the perpetrators and the masterminds, and prosecute them in accordance with human rights standards.
The persistent impunity and the partial non-compliance with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ ruling demonstrate the enormous difficulties in translating an international judgment into real and tangible changes. The central focus remains locating Antonio González Méndez and conducting a professional, scientific, and independent investigation that guarantees justice and truth. This case not only reflects the outstanding debt owed to his family but also starkly exposes the structural crisis of human rights, justice, and impunity that Mexico is experiencing.
The Mexican State has the obligation to implement the structural reforms ordered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: a national and updated registry of missing persons, effective prevention programs, specialized training for investigating state crimes, and public policies that recognize the collective rights of Indigenous peoples under a comprehensive human rights approach. It is not simply a matter of complying with a ruling, but of transforming institutions so that these violations are never repeated.
From Frayba, together with the family of Antonio González Méndez, we will continue to insist that justice be fully served. We will persist in the search for truth and in demanding justice, because only in this way can we honor Antonio’s memory and pave the way for a Mexico where impunity is not the rule, but the exception. This struggle is also the struggle for all the disappeared people and for the dignity of the peoples who demand truth, justice and non-repetition.
Original statement from Frayba, December 12th, 2025.
Translated by Schools for Chiapas.