In April 2025, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a note to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) rejecting the existence of enforced disappearances in the country, despite the discovery of mass graves and over 125,000 missing persons. The CED has called for urgent measures, such as protecting evidence and ensuring transparent investigations. However, the Mexican government and the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) deny that these disappearances are a state policy, attributing them to organized crime. This position undermines fundamental principles of the civic space: the principle of an open and receptive state is affected by the official denial, shutting down dialogue and accountability.
Additionally, the principle of political culture and public discourse toward civil society is undermined by statements that delegitimize the voices of victims and civil society organisations, such as the collectives of mothers searching for their disappeared loved ones. The official rejection could lead to the stigmatisation and criminalisation of these collectives, hindering their work. This creates a more restrictive environment for civil society organisations and limits cooperation with international human rights mechanisms, severely impacting the enabling environment for civil society in Mexico.