The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has issued Urgent Action 2061/2025 to Mexico, demanding an immediate search and investigation plan for 28-year-old Daniel Ruano Colón, who disappeared in Guerrero on May 17, 2024, and setting a July 10, 2025, response deadline.
The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances has issued Urgent Action 2061/2025 to the Mexican government, calling for an immediate and thorough search for 28-year-old Daniel Ruano Colón, who vanished nearly a year ago in Petatlán, Guerrero. The committee’s measures demand that Mexico present a detailed response by July 10, 2025, to avoid further violations of international human rights obligations.
Ruano Colón disappeared on May 17, 2024, after accepting a job offer in the Costa Grande region of Guerrero. His mother—a founding member of the Acapulco-based collective Memoria Verdad y Justicia—has led the search effort ever since, yet authorities have provided no effective lead or public update.
In its urgent action, the UN committee instructed Mexico to design and implement a coordinated search plan and parallel investigation, complete with a clear timeline and milestones. It also outlined operational steps: conduct field searches, interview witnesses, analyze the missing man’s cell phone records, and secure all relevant evidence. The committee emphasized that authorities must explore every hypothesis, including the possibility of enforced disappearance given Guerrero’s entrenched violence and impunity.
Julio Mata Montiel, advisor to Memoria Verdad y Justicia, noted that the UN’s recognition of the case underscores a broader crisis in Guerrero. “Hundreds of disappearances remain unresolved in our state,” he said, pointing to the surge in forced disappearances, unclaimed bodies at forensic services, femicides, and killings of land and water defenders. He urged Mexican officials to heed the committee’s recommendations without delay.
The committee’s urgent action also secures critical participation rights for Ruano Colón’s family. It requires that the Mexican government grant them full access to case records and involve them in all investigative stages. Advocates say this transparency is vital for rebuilding trust between affected families and state institutions.
Mexico now faces an international deadline to respond to the committee’s formal recommendations. Should the government fail to comply by July 10, the UN may escalate the matter to the Human Rights Council or other oversight bodies, potentially triggering diplomatic scrutiny and sanctions.
For the Ruano Colón family, the UN’s intervention fuels hope. “We’ve knocked on every door,” his mother said in a public statement. “This urgent action shows we’re not alone. We need real answers—and we need them now.” Human rights organizations nationwide are watching the outcome closely, viewing the case as a test of Mexico’s commitment to tackling enforced disappearances.
