MARIA DEL CARMEN LOPEZ WAS KIDNAPPED
On February 9th, our mother, Maria del Carmen Lopez, was kidnapped from her home in Pueblo Nuevo, Colima in Mexico.
The day started normally for our mom, who is a retired U.S. citizen who moved back to her home in Colima. She visited our aunt’s store, sat for a chat, and then went home to water her plants. Her house is somewhat known in the neighborhood for being one of the only ones with wifi, so neighborhood kids will often hang around using it. She arrived home and started watering her plants when out of nowhere, neighborhood witnesses recall a van pulling up quickly. Three hooded men exited the van, left the driver behind, and quickly went toward Carmen, grabbing her and hauling her toward the van. Witnesses heard her yelling, “I am not going with you!” and saw her attempts to get out of their grasp by falling to the ground. They eventually got her into the van and sped off.
The authorities were surprisingly quick to respond, and not just local police officers showed up at the scene. There were federal agents and other authorities at the scene, and just hours after, our family in Southern California received the call that she was kidnapped.
The very next day, we received word from the FBI that they would be working with us, alongside the Mexican agencies, in order to get her back. Twelve hours after she was kidnapped, we received a phone call from the kidnappers.
They called us and provided a “proof of life” audio of our mother begging for us to help her. They asked for a ransom of an unattainable amount, which we could not provide. They called multiple times, asking again for the ransom that we would say we couldn’t supply yet. After those initial calls, they stopped contacting us. It has been almost 9 weeks since we heard an update on our mother.
We have been fighting to find our mother for over 100 days now, printing flyers and billboards for everyone to see. The FBI is offering an award of $20,000 dollars to anyone who finds her, but that is where the help ends. We are scared every day while watching the news coming out of Colima that another body has been found. We wait for the calls that say, “It’s not her, don’t worry” hoping that they never say the opposite. We are tirelessly fighting to shed light on her disappearance and to get updates from the lead investigator in Mexico, but they are silent.
We are at a loss. THIS IS WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
Maria Del Carmen Lopez is not only a mother but a cherished member of our family. She is the light in our world. She’s loving, funny, and always willing to help others. She is someone who has touched the lives of many with her kindness and compassion. The void her absence has created is immeasurable, and we are devastated by the thought of her suffering in captivity.
OUR DEMANDS:
1. We plead to the United States government to extend its full support to our mother Maria Del Carmen Lopez as a valued citizen and work tirelessly to aid in her safe return. We expect nothing less than their unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens, especially in such dire circumstances. We urgently request the collaboration of law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, and diplomatic channels between the United States and Mexico to intensify their efforts to locate her with utmost urgency.
2. To the Mexican authorities, we demand that every resource be deployed to uncover the truth about our mother Maria Del Carmen Lopez's kidnapping. We implore them to leave no stone unturned in their investigations. The pain inflicted on our family is unimaginable, and we implore the Mexican government to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to the safety and security of its citizens by expediting all necessary actions to find our beloved mother.
3. We kindly request the media's assistance in amplifying our plea for our mother Maria Del Carmen Lopez's safe return. We urge journalists, news outlets, and individuals to share the news of her kidnapping, across all platforms, to ensure that her story reaches as many people as possible. Time is of the essence, and it is through the collective power of unity and compassion that we hope to bring our mother home.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
If anyone has any information, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, we implore you to come forward and contact the authorities immediately. Our family's gratitude knows no bounds, and we are eternally grateful for any assistance you can provide.
We will not rest until our mother Maria Del Carmen Lopez is safely brought home to us. We stand united, strong, and hopeful, and we fervently believe that justice will prevail.
Please, sign our petition to help us show the authorities and her kidnappers that WE WON’T STOP until she is safe in our arms again. We need your support, we need you to share this petition, and we need you to tell her story. Together we can bring her home.
