Seven residents remain missing in Guerrero
Original reporting: Tribuna de la Bahía
What happened
Seven residents of El Balcón remain missing after eight people were taken on Sept. 24. Guerrero authorities are offering 1.5 million pesos for information, while the community disputes allegations linked to a circulated video.
Reporting and context
Seven residents of the El Balcón ejido in Ajuchitlán del Progreso, Guerrero, have remained missing since Sept. 24, when eight people were taken. A 12-year-old minor was released, while the whereabouts of the other seven remain unknown, according to Tribuna de la Bahía.
The Guerrero State Prosecutor's Office announced on Oct. 9 that it is offering a reward of 1.5 million pesos for reliable and useful information that could help locate them. State and federal authorities are participating in the search. Tribuna de la Bahía reported that the agency is receiving confidential information by phone and WhatsApp at 733 100 5579 and 55 7442 3172.
The case drew attention after a video circulated showing six of the missing people. In different scenes, five appear to be questioned while wearing camouflage clothing, bound and blindfolded. During the interrogation, they make statements about alleged links to the Los Granados criminal group.
The El Balcón community rejects those accusations and says the missing residents worked in forestry, agriculture and mezcal production. Community members have also questioned the circumstances and content of the recording. The statements in the video have not been independently verified and do not, by themselves, establish that the men belong to a criminal organization. The community has attributed the disappearances to alleged members of La Nueva Familia Michoacana, but that claim remains unconfirmed and should not be presented as established by a court ruling.