Mexico City apologizes for mishandling disappearance of Julio César Cervantes

The Mexico City Attorney General’s Office (FGJ) issued a public apology on Wednesday to the family of Julio César Cervantes Cabañas. The formal statement came more than two years after his disappearance and followed a recommendation from the capital’s Human Rights Commission.

The apology was directed at Julio’s parents, Laura and Leobardo, who had long sought accountability for the institution’s handling of the case. Julio César Cervantes Cabañas went missing on September 20, 2021. His body was discovered on January 20, 2024, yet his family remained unaware of his whereabouts for 11 months after the discovery.

Omar Guadalupe Gutiérrez Lozano, the FGJ’s general legal and human rights coordinator, delivered the apology in person. He admitted the institution’s failure to support the family during Julio’s disappearance and subsequent death. Gutiérrez Lozano also acknowledged that Julio had suffered two disappearances: one physical and one administrative.

The apology followed Recommendation 09/2025 from the Mexico City Human Rights Commission (CDHCM). While Laura Cabañas, Julio’s mother, accepted the public apology, she stressed that deeper changes within the FGJ were necessary to prevent similar cases in the future. The FGJ’s apology marks a formal recognition of its shortcomings in the case. Laura Cabañas has called for structural reforms to ensure families no longer face the same delays and lack of transparency. The case remains under scrutiny as authorities address the commission’s recommendations.