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needed to obtain a “presumption of death” certificate in order to receive her husband’s
pension. However, she did not want to ask for such recognition, which she viewed as a
sign of giving up hope that her husband was alive. “How could I ever explain that choice to
him if he is found alive one day?” she said. 316
The families affected were not limited to Mexico. For example, five of the victims of
disappearances documented by Human Rights Watch had families in the US who were also
significantly impacted by the violence. Geraldo Acosta Rodríguez, 32, a naturalized US
citizen from Mexico, ran a warehouse for beauty products in Los Angeles, where he lived
with his wife and two daughters, 9 and 7. 317 In August 2009, he returned to his native city
of Saltillo, Coahuila, together with his brother—Gualberto Acosta Rodríguez, 33, who also
lived in Los Angeles—to visit their sick mother in the hospital. Geraldo and Gualberto were
abducted on August 29, 2009, together with a third brother who lived in Saltillo, Esteban
Acosta Rodríguez, 34, and Esteban’s 8-year-old son, Brandon Esteban Acosta Herrera. 318
Geraldo’s wife had no experience running his business, which quickly folded after his
disappearance. As a result of the loss of his income, his family could no longer make the
payments on their home in California, which a bank foreclosed upon. 319
PROVÍCTIMA’s Shortcomings in Assisting Families
The Special Prosecutor’s Office for Attention to Victims of Crimes (la Procuraduría Social de
Atención a las Víctimas de Delitos, PROVÍCTIMA) was created in September 2011 to assist
victims of crime and their families, particularly people looking for relatives who have
disappeared. 320 The main services that PROVÍCTIMA offers to victims, according to its
mandate, are: accompaniment in the search for missing people, medical assistance,
psychological assistance, legal advice, and social work.
316 Ibid.
317 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with Delia Acosta Rojas, wife of Gerardo Acosta Rodríguez, Los Angeles,
California, April 28, 2011.
318 Coahuila State Prosecutor’s Office, Complaint (Denuncia), Lourdes Herrera del Llano, A.P.P. CEYCS-015/2009, Saltillo,
Coahuila, August 29, 2009.
319 Human Rights Watch interview with Lourdes Herrera del Llano, wife of Esteban Acosta Rodríguez and mother of Brandon,
Saltillo, Coahuila, April 26, 2012.
320 Special Prosecutor’s Office for Attention to Victims of Crimes (la Procuraduría Social de Atención a las Víctimas de Delitos,
PROVÍCTIMA), History (Antecedentes), http://www.provictima.gob.mx/conoce-provictima/antecedentes/ (accessed
November 23, 2012).
89 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | FEBRUARY 2013