Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Butterfly conservationist’s family victims of extortion

Family members of missing butterfly conservationist Homero Gómez González have been the victims of an extortion campaign related to his disappearance.

“They have been extorting the family with alleged photos and [the family] has been depositing money,” said Michoacán Governor Silvano Aureoles at a press conference on Monday morning.

“We’re going to find him. I hope we find him alive,” the governor said.

He added that he will meet with members of the Michoacán Missing Persons Search Commission later this week.

Monday marked two weeks since the disappearance of the head administrator at the El Rosario monarch butterfly sanctuary in Angangueo, Michoacán.

Gómez’s brother Juan said that Homero was last seen on January 13 at a fair in the town of Ocampo with Mayor Roberto Arriaga Colín and other municipal officials. He left at around 9:30pm and was not seen or heard from afterwards.

Juan said he was unaware of what happened to his brother or whether he had received threats before his disappearance, as Homero Gómez was reserved about such matters.

He added that they are not ruling out any clue or line of investigation.

“The authorities are working and I hope that they do their job well so that this doesn’t go unpunished like so many cases, not just in Michoacán but nationwide,” he said.

The National Search Commission reported earlier this month that there are more than 61,000 missing persons in Mexico.

Source: La Voz de Michoacán (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
wet railroad tracks

Critics warn infrastructure cuts could undermine Mexico’s economic growth potential

1
Between January and August of this year, investment in public works such as roads, bridges, schools and hospitals totaled 509.8 billion pesos (US $27.7 billion), a 33.7% reduction in real terms.
workers on scaffolding in front of a Mexican flag

World Bank ups growth forecast for Mexico and Latin America

1
In its new economic report on Latin America and the Caribbean, the bank revised Mexico's 2025 GDP forecast to 0.5%, but cautioned that growth is hindered by tariff uncertainty and insufficient public investment.
Six repatriated Mexicans

Mexicans detained since Oct. 1 by Israel while taking humanitarian aid to Gaza, are coming home

1
The group of six Mexicans, which included the journalist Ernesto Ledesma, was part of a flotilla of volunteers whose boats were boarded by Israeli soldiers after they entered restricted waters off the coast of Palestine.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity