A Christian rights organisation is urging authorities in Mexico to urgently investigate the disappearance of a 79-year-old Protestant missionary who has been missing for more than six weeks after being abducted by armed men in the southern state of Guerrero.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based advocacy group, has called on both state and federal officials to launch an immediate inquiry into the disappearance of Benito Guevara Arcos, who was last seen on 31 March in the town of San Vicente, within the municipality of Chilpancingo de los Bravos.
Guevara Arcos had travelled from the nearby town of Ocotito to share Christian teaching and distribute Bibles. He was staying with a fellow believer, who raised the alarm after he failed to return later that day.
According to local accounts shared by CSW, neighbours reported that armed men objected to the missionary’s preaching and forced him into a vehicle. The organisation also said that a criminal group later claimed responsibility for holding him, saying they were verifying his identity despite him carrying official identification documents.
Days after the abduction, the group reportedly claimed the missionary had been released in the town of Amojileca on 4 April and instructed a family member to collect him. However, searches carried out by local Christians in the area did not locate him.
Family members told CSW that Guevara Arcos did not carry a mobile phone but had enough money to travel home independently. On 13 April, the family officially reported him missing to the National Search Commission in Guerrero State and received police protection while distributing missing-person notices across the region.
Despite local media coverage and his known presence in the community, there has been no confirmed information about his whereabouts or condition. His family has reportedly not filed a formal complaint with the state prosecutor’s office due to fears of possible retaliation from criminal groups.
Anna Lee Stangl, CSW’s Director of Advocacy and Head of the Americas, has appealed for anyone with information to come forward and urged Mexican authorities to strengthen action against organised criminal groups. She warned that such groups pose a serious threat to religious workers and human rights defenders.
The case comes amid wider concerns about rising forced disappearances in Mexico. According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), disappearances in the country have increased significantly over the past decade, with organised crime frequently linked to such cases and, in some instances, state inaction contributing to the problem.
Reports from Global Christian Relief indicate that Mexico has recorded a high number of attacks and abductions targeting Christians in recent years, with criminal groups often viewing church workers and outreach programmes as a threat to their influence in local communities.
Guerrero State, where the missionary disappeared, remains one of Mexico’s most violent regions, with organised criminal groups maintaining strong influence over local areas and frequently targeting individuals involved in community and religious work.
Based on reporting from Christian Solidarity Worldwide and The Christian Post.
