Jojutla: The search for justice that a hurricane brought to a screeching halt

The gruesome task of exhuming more than 60 bodies in Jojutla, Morelos, was abruptly suspended due to the arrival of Hurricane Erika. This almost symbolic event underscores the monumental obstacles the families face in their search for truth, in a case marked by historical neglect.

In a cruel irony that seems straight out of a novel, the search for answers to one of Mexico's worst human tragedies was put on hold by the force of nature. Exhumation work in the graves of the Pedro Amaro cemetery in Jojutla, where more than 60 bodies have been recovered, was suspended due to the risks posed by Hurricane Erick's intense rains.

For the mothers and relatives of the missing who oversee the proceedings, the interruption is more than a logistical setback; it's a powerful symbol of the uphill struggle they have undertaken. They face not only the negligence and alleged complicity of the authorities, but also the elements themselves, in a search for justice that seems to defy all odds.

The outrage surrounding the Jojutla case stems not only from the shocking number of victims, but also from evidence pointing to the authorities' direct responsibility in creating and concealing these graves. Documents and testimonies gathered over the years paint a picture of criminal negligence.

* Irregular Burials: It has been documented that the then Morelos Attorney General's Office carried out illegal burials at the site in 2014, with the authorization of the Jojutla council at the time.

* Deliberate Concealment: In 2015, the same city council authorized the burial of two bodies in regular graves directly above the mass grave, in what activists have denounced as a deliberate attempt to hide evidence.

* Lack of Protocols: Since the exhumations began, the collectives have denounced the lack of a clear work plan by the Morelos State Attorney General's Office (FGE), as well as the refusal to grant them access to key court documents.

This chain of actions and inactions has created a deep mistrust of the institutions charged with pursuing justice. Families aren't just searching for their missing loved ones; they're fighting a system that, in the past, was part of the problem.

The family members' frustration is palpable. During a previous hearing, suspended due to a lack of funding, one relative expressed the collective sentiment: "We're leaving without finishing the grave, which, unfortunately, we're leaving with a visible bone fragment." This feeling of unfinished work and lack of resources is a constant in their struggle.

"Finally, Amalia criticized the Commissioner for Victim Assistance, Penélope Picazo Hernández, for spreading misinformation in public interviews about what happens at the graves, even though she wasn't present at the proceedings. She asked the commission to assign a legal advisor to accompany and support the victims at the scene." – Statements by Amalia, a member of a search group, reported by Proceso magazine.

This statement highlights the loneliness and helplessness the victims feel. They must deal not only with the trauma of the search, but also with the misinformation and apparent indifference of the very institutions created to support them.

As Hurricane Erika dissipates and work prepares to resume, the question remains whether justice, like the bodies, can finally be exhumed from the depths of the earth and bureaucracy in Morelos. The families' struggle, momentarily suspended by a natural disaster, is far from over. The real storm, that of truth and accountability, is just beginning.