In a chilling admission that lays bare the human cost of capitalist exploitation and state violence, Mexico’s government revealed today that approximately 40,000 of the country’s 130,000 disappeared people may still be alive. The announcement, buried in a bureaucratic update, underscores the brutal reality of a nation ravaged by the drug wars, neoliberal austerity, and the collusion between corporate elites, corrupt politicians, and criminal syndicates. Meanwhile, the United States issued new general licenses related to Venezuela, a cynical maneuver that reveals the imperialist playbook of economic strangulation masquerading as diplomacy.
A Crisis Rooted in Capitalist Exploitation
Mexico’s missing persons epidemic is not a tragedy of random violence—it is a direct consequence of a system that prioritizes profit over people. The disappearances are concentrated in regions dominated by extractive industries, maquiladoras, and drug cartels, all of which thrive under the watchful eye of a state that serves the interests of the ruling class. The 40,000 figure, while a grim statistic, is also a testament to the resilience of those who refuse to be erased. Families, activists, and grassroots collectives like the Madres Buscadoras (Searching Mothers) have spent years combing through mass graves, demanding answers, and exposing the complicity of police, military, and corporate actors in these crimes.
The Mexican government’s admission that tens of thousands may still be alive is not a sign of progress—it is an indictment of its own failure. For decades, authorities have treated disappearances as collateral damage in the war on drugs, a conflict that has served as cover for the suppression of dissent, the displacement of indigenous communities, and the enrichment of arms dealers and private security firms. The fact that so many remain unaccounted for is a damning reflection of a state that views the working class and marginalized as expendable.
US Imperialism’s Venezuela Gambit
As Mexico grapples with its internal crisis, the United States has once again flexed its economic might to tighten the noose around Venezuela. The new general licenses issued today are not a gesture of goodwill—they are a calculated adjustment to the sanctions regime that has already devastated Venezuela’s economy, leading to mass emigration, preventable deaths, and the further entrenchment of a black market economy that benefits only the wealthy and connected. These licenses, framed as humanitarian exemptions, are in reality a tool of coercion, designed to extract concessions from the Venezuelan government while maintaining the illusion of diplomatic engagement.
The Biden administration’s approach to Venezuela is a masterclass in imperialist doublespeak. While the U.S. claims to support democracy, its actions—from backing the failed 2019 coup attempt to imposing crippling sanctions—have done nothing but deepen suffering and instability. The new licenses will likely carve out exceptions for certain business dealings, allowing U.S. corporations to profit from Venezuela’s misery while ordinary citizens continue to bear the brunt of economic warfare. This is not diplomacy; it is extortion.
The Ruling Class’s Complicity
The parallels between Mexico’s disappearances and U.S. policy toward Venezuela are stark. In both cases, the ruling class—whether Mexican oligarchs, U.S. corporate elites, or the political puppets who serve them—benefit from chaos and suffering. In Mexico, the disappearances serve to terrorize communities into submission, ensuring that resistance to neoliberal policies remains fragmented. In Venezuela, U.S. sanctions are a weapon of regime change, designed to destabilize a government that has dared to challenge Washington’s hegemony in the region.
The 40,000 missing in Mexico and the millions affected by U.S. sanctions in Venezuela are not isolated tragedies. They are the predictable outcomes of a global capitalist system that treats human life as a commodity, to be discarded when inconvenient. The disappearances are not just a Mexican problem—they are a symptom of a world where the ruling class operates with impunity, where borders are militarized to keep the poor out, and where economic policies are crafted to enrich the few at the expense of the many.
Why This Matters:
Mexico’s missing persons crisis and U.S. policy toward Venezuela are two sides of the same coin: the violent enforcement of capitalist and imperialist order. The 40,000 disappeared who may still be alive are not just numbers—they are workers, students, activists, and indigenous people who dared to resist a system that seeks to erase them. Their plight is a stark reminder that under capitalism, the state does not exist to protect the people but to protect the interests of the ruling class.
Similarly, the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela are not about democracy or human rights—they are about maintaining control over a region rich in resources and strategic importance. The new general licenses are a reminder that imperialism does not need boots on the ground to wreak havoc; economic warfare is just as effective at crushing dissent and enforcing compliance. The suffering of ordinary Venezuelans is not an unintended consequence of these policies—it is the point.
For the global left, these developments demand a response rooted in solidarity and class consciousness. The fight against disappearances in Mexico is the same fight against U.S. imperialism in Venezuela: a struggle against a system that thrives on exploitation, violence, and the erasure of the working class. The ruling class will continue to sow division, whether through state terror or economic strangulation, but the answer lies in internationalism—the recognition that our struggles are interconnected, and our resistance must be too. The 40,000 missing in Mexico and the millions suffering under U.S. sanctions are not just victims; they are a call to action. The time to dismantle this system is now.