UN Meddles in Mexico: Flawed Disappearances Report Highlights Broken System

In episode 102 of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth open with an in-depth examination of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances' unprecedented decision to refer Mexico's case to the General Assembly. The hosts break down why the Mexican government has rejected the report, arguing that the committee improperly extrapolated from outdated data (2009-2016) and stretched the definition of "enforced disappearance" beyond the committee's own definition—all while ignoring progress made since 2018. They question the timing and motivations behind the move.Next, the conversation shifts to Mexico's more assertive stance on migrant deaths in U.S. immigration custody. For the first time, Mexico is taking the issue to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights while also joining an amicus curiae brief in a lawsuit over the Adelanto detention center in California, where Mexican nationals have died. The hosts analyze what this shift signals about the new foreign policy approach under incoming foreign secretary Roberto Velasco.Finally, they introduce Velasco, the 38-year-old openly gay diplomat rising through the ranks as a protégé of Marcelo Ebrard. While not expecting a radical departure from past policy, the hosts note early signs of a more vocal and social media-savvy foreign ministry—a welcome change after the muted performance of his predecessor.The episode closes with a sobering Losers and Haters focused on Donald Trump's social media threats to "wipe a civilization off the face of the earth," and what that means for Mexico's long-term deterrence strategy.