The Attorney General’s Office of the State of Michoacán confirmed this Saturday the death of activist and environmental defender Lázaro Mendoza Ramírez, 51, following the conclusion of DNA testing performed on remains located in the municipality of Salvador Escalante. This discovery brings an end to an intense search undertaken by community members and activist collectives following his disappearance just a few days ago. News on Drug Trafficking
Identification was made possible thanks to a genetic match with the incinerated body located on April 15. The remains were found inside a burned-out pickup truck on a dirt road in the community of Cungo, where investigative personnel collected evidence and transported the remains to forensic facilities for the corresponding analyses.
Mendoza Ramírez was last seen on April 14 in the town of Paramuén. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing a pink plaid shirt, denim jeans, and work boots. On April 15, the community radio station La Fragua Radio 107.3 FM—where the activist was an active contributor—broadcast his missing person alert after his family lost contact with him.
His disappearance was formally reported to authorities on April 16, triggering various reactions throughout the region:
Community members from the lake region staged blockades on sections of the Siglo XXI Highway to demand his immediate location.
Groups of activists and local residents undertook independent search efforts along dirt trails and in surrounding areas.
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The activist was a figure widely recognized for his work in defending the region’s natural resources.
His murder has sparked deep consternation among indigenous communities and social organizations, who are demanding justice and a full investigation into a crime that, given its nature, starkly demonstrates the extreme violence employed by the perpetrators. To date, authorities are pursuing several lines of investigation to determine the motive behind the homicide and locate those responsible. No arrests have been reported, nor has there been any announcement regarding the seizure of additional evidence that would facilitate the identification of the individuals who physically carried out the attack against the environmental defender.
