Mexico City apologizes for mishandling disappearance and death of Julio César Cervantes

The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) has issued a public apology to the family of Julio César Cervantes Cabañas. The apology comes after a lengthy investigation into his disappearance and the delayed notification of his death. His mother, Laura Cabañas, accepted the apology but called for deeper reforms within the institution.

Julio César Cervantes Cabañas vanished on September 20, 2021. His body was not discovered until January 20, 2024—over two years later. Authorities then took another 11 months to inform his family.

The apology was delivered on Wednesday by Omar Guadalupe Gutiérrez Lozano, the FGJ’s general legal and human rights coordinator. He addressed Julio’s parents, Laura and Leobardo, acknowledging the institution’s failure to support them during their son’s disappearance and death. Gutiérrez Lozano admitted the FGJ’s responsibility in what he described as two disappearances: one physical and one administrative. The apology followed Recommendation 09/2025 from the Mexico City Human Rights Commission (CDHCM). While the family accepted the formal recognition of wrongdoing, Laura Cabañas stressed that structural changes within the FGJ were necessary to prevent such cases in the future.

The FGJ’s apology marks a formal acknowledgment of its shortcomings in handling Julio’s case. His family now awaits concrete measures to ensure accountability and prevent similar failures. The case highlights ongoing challenges in Mexico’s justice system for victims of forced disappearances.