Mexican State 's Surveillance of Rosario Ibarra de Piedra during her 1982 Presidential Campaign

Abstract

The disappearance of Jesús Piedra Ibarra, a guerrilla fighter from the September 23 Communist League, prompted his mother, Rosario Ibarra de Piedra, to initiate an extensive search that included appeals to Nuevo León authorities, the federal government, and even a direct meeting with President Luis Echeverría Álvarez. Despite these efforts, her son was never found. Through this search, she encountered other mothers of the disappeared individuals who had been targeted as guerrillas, social activists, students, or anyone perceived as a threat to the regime. Victims detained by police forces, the army, and intelligence services were subjected to forced disappearance, which led Rosario Ibarra to lead a movement demanding the return of those detained during Mexico’s so-called “dirty war.” She founded the Committee for the Defense of Political Prisoners, the Persecuted, the Disappeared, and the Exiled of Mexico, later known as the Eureka! Committee. In 1982, she became the first woman to run for the presidency of the Mexican Republic. This study examines the Mexican State’s surveillance of Rosario Ibarra de Piedra during her presidential campaign, drawing on reports from the Federal Security Directorate. The methodology is descriptive and explanatory, based on systematic reflection and document analysis, complemented by scholarly articles and book chapters. The findings suggest that the systematic surveillance of regime opponents was a recurring feature of electoral processes in Mexico.