Background on the Issue and Relevance of Claudia Sheinbaum
Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of Mexico City, initiated a set of reforms targeting the crisis of forced disappearances in Mexico. These reforms aim to strengthen the state and federal capacities for searching, identifying, and locating missing persons by implementing new mechanisms.
Reforms Overview
The Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved, in a fast-track session, a package of reforms concerning the search, location, and identification of missing persons. The approved changes include the implementation of a biometric CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población) as the sole source of identification for citizens, which must be linked to any records held by authorities or private entities.
With the support of Morena and its allies, along with partial backing from PAN and MC, the Chamber of Deputies in San Lázaro endorsed the memo. This document modifies provisions within the Ley General en Materia de Desaparición Forzada de Personas, Desaparición Cometida por Particulares y del Sistema Nacional de Búsqueda de Personas, as well as the Ley General de Población. The reforms aim to bolster legislation related to searching, locating, and identifying missing persons.
Key Changes
- Biometric CURP: This new system will digitally store personal information and physical characteristics of the population, integrating public and private records associated with each individual.
- National Investigation Registry of Missing and Unaccounted Persons: A registry containing details from investigation files or preliminary inquiries initiated for these crimes, operated by the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System and updated in real-time by Specialized Prosecutors.
- Unique Identity Platform: Centralizes biometric and personal data of the entire population to facilitate the search and location of missing persons, connecting with various databases like the National Registry of Missing Persons, Forensic Databases, and administrative records.
- Immediate Alert Activation: Upon learning of a disappearance, an immediate search, location, and identification alert will be activated. All prosecutors must have specialized units for disappearances, cybercrimes, context analysis, and victim assistance.
- New Penalties: Sanctions for individuals hindering data delivery and reduced penalties for those aiding in locating missing persons. Strengthened regulations on the respectful treatment of corpses and human remains.
Opposition Concerns
During the discussion, opposition lawmakers raised concerns about substantial and delicate changes regarding biométric data and personal information of the entire Mexican population, lacking a serious privacy impact study or minimal protection guarantees.
Víctor Adrián Martínez (PAN) highlighted the absence of an autonomous body, like the former INAI, to monitor data usage. He also pointed out the mandatory interconnection between public and private databases without legal safeguards, clear rules, or limits.
Nadia Navarro (PRI) warned that Morena aims to establish an authoritarian state with unlimited access and control over population information through various laws, weakening institutions and leaving citizens defenseless.
Ana Erika Santana González (PVEM) emphasized the severity of the crisis, with over 115,000 people reported missing or unaccounted for in Mexico since 2006, with more than 90% of cases registered after that year.
Sheinbaum’s reforms, according to Santana González, aim to transform the approach to handling disappearances by establishing a reliable unique identity through biometric CURP, facilitating the location and identification of missing persons by integrating administrative records, forensic databases, and security platforms.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are the main reforms approved by Mexican Congress? The reforms include implementing a biometric CURP as the sole source of identification, establishing a National Investigation Registry, creating a Unique Identity Platform, activating immediate alerts for disappearances, and introducing new penalties.
- Why are opposition lawmakers concerned about these reforms? They argue that the changes lack a thorough privacy impact study, have insufficient protection guarantees, and raise concerns about mandatory interconnection between public and private databases without proper safeguards.
- What is the significance of these reforms? These reforms aim to strengthen state and federal capacities for searching, identifying, and locating missing persons in Mexico, addressing the growing crisis of forced disappearances.
