‘There could not have been confusion’: Wife of kidnapped miner in Concordia rejects official version
María Elena, the wife of Antonio Esparza, a miner abducted in Sinaloa, leads a protest in Sonora, rejecting the official narrative surrounding her husband's disappearance.
In Sonora, María Elena led a protest alongside approximately 1,500 participants, calling for the safe return of her husband, Antonio Esparza, who was kidnapped along with other miners in Concordia, Sinaloa. The peaceful march began at the Mexican Association of Mining Engineers, Metallurgists, and Geologists in Sonora and concluded at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Hermosillo, as attendees voiced their concerns and frustrations regarding the escalating violence in the region.
María Elena revealed that she had spoken with her husband just days before his abduction, during which he expressed worries about the rising insecurity in Sinaloa. Despite this, he remained hopeful about the mining company's negotiations with the armed groups that had been demanding ransom for their safe return. The emotional weight of her words underscored a desperate plea for attention to the broader issue of insecurity affecting not only miners but the community at large.
As the search for Antonio and other abducted miners continues, the protest highlights the deep-seated issues of violence and corruption that plague Sinaloa. The tensions between organized crime and legitimate business operations create a hazardous environment not only for workers but for their families as they live in constant fear and uncertainty. María Elena's rejection of the official narrative suggests widespread distrust towards authorities in handling such crises, which complicates the already complex situation for families seeking answers and justice for their loved ones.