Members of the “Searching Mothers of Quintana Roo” (Madres Buscadoras de Quintana Roo) collective blocked the entrance and exit to Cancún’s hotel zone. They were protesting a judge’s decision to grant freedom to Ángel Conrado—the alleged perpetrator of the femicide of Francisca Mariner—due to an error made while filling out his arrest form in November 2022.
With eyes swollen from crying, María Patrón, the victim’s mother, explained that the accused had already received a final conviction in a second-instance ruling for the crime of forced disappearance. A separate legal process regarding the femicide was still pending, but the federal judge’s ruling has now resulted in his release.
“This is what has brought us here—filled with rage and a profound sense of helplessness. The authorities acted this way simply because they failed to do their jobs properly. Once again, they have demonstrated their incompetence—both within the public security sector and the prosecutor’s office regarding their investigations,” she stated.
She noted that the family does not yet know whether his release applies only to the disappearance charge—meaning he might still face the femicide charge—or if he has been cleared of both crimes. She explained that the judge’s ruling was issued just an hour and a half before they blocked the roads. She added that the hearing caught them all by surprise; consequently, their legal team is currently determining what strategies to pursue, what actions can be taken, and what will happen next.
