Mongabay
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Award-winning nonprofit media outlet publishing global environmental science & news in 6 languages via bureaus in India, Brazil, Africa, Latin America, Indonesia & US: https://mongabay.com
Environmental crime is no longer a niche issue.
From the UNFCCC & UNTOC to governments & Interpol, a global push is forming to tackle illegal deforestation, mining & wildlife trafficking — with calls to lock enforcement & financing into climate & biodiversity deals.
** Views are the author’s.
From the UNFCCC & UNTOC to governments & Interpol, a global push is forming to tackle illegal deforestation, mining & wildlife trafficking — with calls to lock enforcement & financing into climate & biodiversity deals.
** Views are the author’s.
Environmental crime prevention is moving into the diplomatic mainstream (commentary)
Environmental crime used to be treated as a niche concern, a worry for park rangers, customs officers and a handful of conservation lawyers. Not anymore. From Vienna to Belém, a once technical debate…
news.mongabay.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:30 AM
Environmental crime is no longer a niche issue.
From the UNFCCC & UNTOC to governments & Interpol, a global push is forming to tackle illegal deforestation, mining & wildlife trafficking — with calls to lock enforcement & financing into climate & biodiversity deals.
** Views are the author’s.
From the UNFCCC & UNTOC to governments & Interpol, a global push is forming to tackle illegal deforestation, mining & wildlife trafficking — with calls to lock enforcement & financing into climate & biodiversity deals.
** Views are the author’s.
In Brazil’s Jequitinhonha Valley, beekeepers say climate change, deforestation, & possibly lithium mining, are driving bee decline. As mining expands to fuel renewable energy, researchers warn impacts on pollinators remain poorly studied, with biodiversity safeguards still lagging in climate policy.
Beekeepers in Brazil worry lithium mining puts their bees in jeopardy
ARAÇUAÍ & BELÉM, Brazil — When Aécio Luiz was younger, finding wild beehives was routine in his rural Afro-Brazilian community of Córrego Narciso. A farmer turned beekeeper, he recalls their buzzing…
news.mongabay.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:30 AM
In Brazil’s Jequitinhonha Valley, beekeepers say climate change, deforestation, & possibly lithium mining, are driving bee decline. As mining expands to fuel renewable energy, researchers warn impacts on pollinators remain poorly studied, with biodiversity safeguards still lagging in climate policy.
Ghana has repealed LI 2462, a law that allowed mining in forest reserves, including globally important biodiversity areas.
Passed by Parliament in December, the move is a major win for forest protection — though experts warn deeper forestry reforms are still needed.
Passed by Parliament in December, the move is a major win for forest protection — though experts warn deeper forestry reforms are still needed.
Ghana repeals legislation that opened forest reserves to mining
After facing sustained pushback from environmental groups, Ghana revoked a 2022 law that had empowered the president to allow mining in the country’s forest reserves. In December, the Minister for…
news.mongabay.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:30 AM
Ghana has repealed LI 2462, a law that allowed mining in forest reserves, including globally important biodiversity areas.
Passed by Parliament in December, the move is a major win for forest protection — though experts warn deeper forestry reforms are still needed.
Passed by Parliament in December, the move is a major win for forest protection — though experts warn deeper forestry reforms are still needed.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, & scientists are racing to track where it’s coming from. New methane seeps have been found in shallow waters off Antarctica, adding to earlier Arctic discoveries. Beyond climate risks, these seeps also host rare ecosystems that may offer clues to life’s origins.
Methane chasers: Hunting a climate-changing gas seeping from Earth’s seafloor
They’ve been called “bubble chasers,” and “seep seekers,” though they sometimes call themselves “flare hunters.” They’re a small group of scientific specialists searching the world’s oceans for tiny…
news.mongabay.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, & scientists are racing to track where it’s coming from. New methane seeps have been found in shallow waters off Antarctica, adding to earlier Arctic discoveries. Beyond climate risks, these seeps also host rare ecosystems that may offer clues to life’s origins.
By 2025, 9.6% of the ocean is covered by marine protected areas, but only 3.2% are highly or fully protected—raising concerns about “paper parks” that allow harmful activities.
Marine protected areas expanded in 2025, but still far from 30% goal
In December 2022, nearly 200 nations committed to protecting 30% of Earth’s lands and waters by 2030. As of 2025, about 9.6% of the world’s oceans are now covered by marine protected areas, according…
news.mongabay.com
January 8, 2026 at 10:21 PM
By 2025, 9.6% of the ocean is covered by marine protected areas, but only 3.2% are highly or fully protected—raising concerns about “paper parks” that allow harmful activities.
After a 2018 wildfire scorched 73,000 hectares of the Santana Indigenous Territory in Brazil’s Cerrado, Bakairi women organized a volunteer fire brigade.
Today, women from teens to grandmothers defend their land—successfully preventing major fires for years, even as blazes intensify elsewhere.
Today, women from teens to grandmothers defend their land—successfully preventing major fires for years, even as blazes intensify elsewhere.
Indigenous women lead a firefighting brigade in Brazil’s Cerrado
When a 2018 fire burned across 73,000 hectares (180,000 acres) of the Santana Indigenous Territory, located in Brazil’s Cerrado savanna, the local Bakairi people waited helplessly for authorities who…
news.mongabay.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:18 PM
After a 2018 wildfire scorched 73,000 hectares of the Santana Indigenous Territory in Brazil’s Cerrado, Bakairi women organized a volunteer fire brigade.
Today, women from teens to grandmothers defend their land—successfully preventing major fires for years, even as blazes intensify elsewhere.
Today, women from teens to grandmothers defend their land—successfully preventing major fires for years, even as blazes intensify elsewhere.
A new report finds thousands of African primates are traded legally and illegally.
While most legal great ape trade is for science and zoos, some cases raise red flags. Chimpanzees top the illegal trade, driven by demand for pets—especially infants.
While most legal great ape trade is for science and zoos, some cases raise red flags. Chimpanzees top the illegal trade, driven by demand for pets—especially infants.
Chimpanzees and gorillas among most traded African primates, report finds
Between 2000 and 2023, more than 6,000 African primates were traded internationally in 50 countries, according to a newly published report. Endangered chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and critically…
news.mongabay.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:35 PM
A new report finds thousands of African primates are traded legally and illegally.
While most legal great ape trade is for science and zoos, some cases raise red flags. Chimpanzees top the illegal trade, driven by demand for pets—especially infants.
While most legal great ape trade is for science and zoos, some cases raise red flags. Chimpanzees top the illegal trade, driven by demand for pets—especially infants.
Soaring gold prices are fueling a surge in illegal mining across Indonesia, including near protected tiger habitat.
Despite mercury bans and strong laws on paper, weak enforcement has left forests, rivers and communities polluted — with long-term costs that outlast the gold rush.
Despite mercury bans and strong laws on paper, weak enforcement has left forests, rivers and communities polluted — with long-term costs that outlast the gold rush.
Indonesia’s illegal gold boom leaves a toxic legacy of mercury pollution
MERANGIN, Indonesia — There wasn’t much Aris Adrianto felt he could do when the gold miners’ heavy vehicles broke into Bukit Gajah Berani, here in this remote pocket of Sumatra’s Merangin district.…
news.mongabay.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Soaring gold prices are fueling a surge in illegal mining across Indonesia, including near protected tiger habitat.
Despite mercury bans and strong laws on paper, weak enforcement has left forests, rivers and communities polluted — with long-term costs that outlast the gold rush.
Despite mercury bans and strong laws on paper, weak enforcement has left forests, rivers and communities polluted — with long-term costs that outlast the gold rush.
After Cyclone Senyar killed 1,100+ people in Sumatra, Indonesia’s government says deforestation and land-use change — not weather alone — worsened the disaster.
Authorities now signal companies may be held accountable, though critics warn real reform hinges on fixing permissive zoning laws.
Authorities now signal companies may be held accountable, though critics warn real reform hinges on fixing permissive zoning laws.
Indonesia launches sweeping environmental audits after Sumatra flood disaster
JAKARTA — The Indonesian government has announced what it describes as a sweeping, science-based effort to reassess environmental governance, zoning and corporate accountability in the wake of floods…
news.mongabay.com
January 8, 2026 at 12:10 AM
After Cyclone Senyar killed 1,100+ people in Sumatra, Indonesia’s government says deforestation and land-use change — not weather alone — worsened the disaster.
Authorities now signal companies may be held accountable, though critics warn real reform hinges on fixing permissive zoning laws.
Authorities now signal companies may be held accountable, though critics warn real reform hinges on fixing permissive zoning laws.
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
California is a global biodiversity hotspot, yet much of its life remains undocumented.
A statewide effort is now building a verifiable record of species to track ecological change — showing why simply counting life still matters.
California is a global biodiversity hotspot, yet much of its life remains undocumented.
A statewide effort is now building a verifiable record of species to track ecological change — showing why simply counting life still matters.
An inventory of life in California
Why Mongabay is reporting on California’s biodiversity Mongabay’s coverage of biodiversity has long been associated with tropical forests and far-flung frontiers. Yet California—wealthy, populous,…
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 11:15 PM
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
California is a global biodiversity hotspot, yet much of its life remains undocumented.
A statewide effort is now building a verifiable record of species to track ecological change — showing why simply counting life still matters.
California is a global biodiversity hotspot, yet much of its life remains undocumented.
A statewide effort is now building a verifiable record of species to track ecological change — showing why simply counting life still matters.
[PODCAST]
Plastic pollution is no longer abstract.
Microplastics are now found in our brains, blood and breast milk — and across all parts of the planet.
On the Mongabay Newscast, Judith Enck explains why governments can’t wait, and how they can act now to cut plastic at the source.
Plastic pollution is no longer abstract.
Microplastics are now found in our brains, blood and breast milk — and across all parts of the planet.
On the Mongabay Newscast, Judith Enck explains why governments can’t wait, and how they can act now to cut plastic at the source.
Plastic pollution requires urgent action, says author Judith Enck
Judith Enck is a former regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, appointed by President Barack Obama, and the founder of Beyond Plastics, an organization dedicated to…
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 10:21 PM
[PODCAST]
Plastic pollution is no longer abstract.
Microplastics are now found in our brains, blood and breast milk — and across all parts of the planet.
On the Mongabay Newscast, Judith Enck explains why governments can’t wait, and how they can act now to cut plastic at the source.
Plastic pollution is no longer abstract.
Microplastics are now found in our brains, blood and breast milk — and across all parts of the planet.
On the Mongabay Newscast, Judith Enck explains why governments can’t wait, and how they can act now to cut plastic at the source.
Already under pressure from logging and hunting, Madagascar’s lemurs now face a new threat: growing demand for lemur meat among urban elites, driven by false beliefs about its health benefits.
Cartoon by Rohan Chakravarty.
Cartoon by Rohan Chakravarty.
An endangered menu (cartoon)
Amidst the ongoing battle for survival against logging and hunting, Madagascar’s lemurs face a new and unprecedented threat — the demand for lemur meat among the country’s urban elite,…
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Already under pressure from logging and hunting, Madagascar’s lemurs now face a new threat: growing demand for lemur meat among urban elites, driven by false beliefs about its health benefits.
Cartoon by Rohan Chakravarty.
Cartoon by Rohan Chakravarty.
Since its founding in 1935, Mitú has grown into a fast-expanding town in Colombia’s remote Amazon.
Researchers link roads, ranching and resource extraction to deforestation and pollution, with Mongabay finding 10,000 hectares of tree cover lost since 2014.
Researchers link roads, ranching and resource extraction to deforestation and pollution, with Mongabay finding 10,000 hectares of tree cover lost since 2014.
Urban sprawl and illegal mining reshape a fragile Amazon frontier
MITÚ, Colombia — Beneath the rising sun, people from nearby Indigenous communities navigate across the Vaupés River in traditional wooden canoes toward Mitú, a rapidly expanding town in the Colombian…
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Since its founding in 1935, Mitú has grown into a fast-expanding town in Colombia’s remote Amazon.
Researchers link roads, ranching and resource extraction to deforestation and pollution, with Mongabay finding 10,000 hectares of tree cover lost since 2014.
Researchers link roads, ranching and resource extraction to deforestation and pollution, with Mongabay finding 10,000 hectares of tree cover lost since 2014.
The EU has delayed its antideforestation law (EUDR) for a second year.
Now set to apply from late 2026, the ban on deforestation-linked commodities was pushed back after political pressure, with a review window added that leaves room for further rollbacks.
Now set to apply from late 2026, the ban on deforestation-linked commodities was pushed back after political pressure, with a review window added that leaves room for further rollbacks.
EUDR antideforestation law officially delayed for second year in a row
The European Union’s antideforestation law, known as EUDR, has officially been delayed for a second year. The amendment was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Dec. 23, 2025.…
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:18 PM
The EU has delayed its antideforestation law (EUDR) for a second year.
Now set to apply from late 2026, the ban on deforestation-linked commodities was pushed back after political pressure, with a review window added that leaves room for further rollbacks.
Now set to apply from late 2026, the ban on deforestation-linked commodities was pushed back after political pressure, with a review window added that leaves room for further rollbacks.
After Cyclone Senyar’s deadly floods in northern Sumatra, scientists say extreme rain wasn’t the only cause.
Decades of deforestation in Batang Toru — home to the Tapanuli orangutan — likely amplified the damage, with risks lingering long after forests are cleared.
Decades of deforestation in Batang Toru — home to the Tapanuli orangutan — likely amplified the damage, with risks lingering long after forests are cleared.
After Cyclone Senyar, Indonesia probes whether development amplified scale of disaster
JAKARTA — Best known as the home of the world’s rarest great ape, the mountainous Batang Toru forest landscape on the island of Sumatra has become a test case for whether Indonesia can enforce…
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 6:15 PM
After Cyclone Senyar’s deadly floods in northern Sumatra, scientists say extreme rain wasn’t the only cause.
Decades of deforestation in Batang Toru — home to the Tapanuli orangutan — likely amplified the damage, with risks lingering long after forests are cleared.
Decades of deforestation in Batang Toru — home to the Tapanuli orangutan — likely amplified the damage, with risks lingering long after forests are cleared.
Animals sometimes show up where they were thought to be gone.
In 2025, Mongabay reported rare sightings — from a colossal squid to otters, elephants, leopards and whales — moments of hope that also raise new conservation concerns.
In 2025, Mongabay reported rare sightings — from a colossal squid to otters, elephants, leopards and whales — moments of hope that also raise new conservation concerns.
7 hopeful wildlife sightings that researchers celebrated in 2025
Once in a while, an animal shows up where it’s least expected, including places from where it was thought to have gone extinct. These rare sightings bring hope — but also fresh concerns. These are…
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Animals sometimes show up where they were thought to be gone.
In 2025, Mongabay reported rare sightings — from a colossal squid to otters, elephants, leopards and whales — moments of hope that also raise new conservation concerns.
In 2025, Mongabay reported rare sightings — from a colossal squid to otters, elephants, leopards and whales — moments of hope that also raise new conservation concerns.
In Altamira, Brazil, recycled paper is turned into seed-embedded sheets that grow into flowers and native plants.
Born from personal adversity, founder Alessandra Moreira’s backyard venture is now seen as a small but powerful model for an Amazon bioeconomy rooted in conservation and inclusion.
Born from personal adversity, founder Alessandra Moreira’s backyard venture is now seen as a small but powerful model for an Amazon bioeconomy rooted in conservation and inclusion.
Amazon entrepreneur spreads seeds of growth with recycled paper
A burnout pushed one woman to build a new, nature-friendly career in one of the rainforest’s most deforested cities.
news.mongabay.com
January 7, 2026 at 4:35 PM
In Altamira, Brazil, recycled paper is turned into seed-embedded sheets that grow into flowers and native plants.
Born from personal adversity, founder Alessandra Moreira’s backyard venture is now seen as a small but powerful model for an Amazon bioeconomy rooted in conservation and inclusion.
Born from personal adversity, founder Alessandra Moreira’s backyard venture is now seen as a small but powerful model for an Amazon bioeconomy rooted in conservation and inclusion.
In Colombia’s Vaupés, the Indigenous Macaquiño have long protected their territory through ritual and respect for sacred sites.
Outside pressures eroded traditions, but many now blend formal education with Indigenous knowledge to sustain both culture and land.
Outside pressures eroded traditions, but many now blend formal education with Indigenous knowledge to sustain both culture and land.
Cultural changes shift an Indigenous community’s relationship with the Amazon forest
VAUPÉS, COLOMBIA – As a baby, Elisa Fernández Sánchez’ mother would place her into the bow of the canoe and glide across the murky waters of the Vaupés River in the thick Amazon rainforest. Their…
news.mongabay.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:21 PM
In Colombia’s Vaupés, the Indigenous Macaquiño have long protected their territory through ritual and respect for sacred sites.
Outside pressures eroded traditions, but many now blend formal education with Indigenous knowledge to sustain both culture and land.
Outside pressures eroded traditions, but many now blend formal education with Indigenous knowledge to sustain both culture and land.
Brazil’s ARPA program has cut deforestation across 120 protected areas and avoided 104 million tons of CO₂.
Now, ARPA Comunidades will invest $120M to support forest communities, boosting sustainable livelihoods across reserves nearly the size of the U.K.
Now, ARPA Comunidades will invest $120M to support forest communities, boosting sustainable livelihoods across reserves nearly the size of the U.K.
Massive Amazon conservation program pledges to put communities first
In the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve in the Brazilian Amazon, locals tap rubber and extract Brazil nuts from the rainforest for a living. It’s a way of life dependent on the forest that goes back…
news.mongabay.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:02 PM
Brazil’s ARPA program has cut deforestation across 120 protected areas and avoided 104 million tons of CO₂.
Now, ARPA Comunidades will invest $120M to support forest communities, boosting sustainable livelihoods across reserves nearly the size of the U.K.
Now, ARPA Comunidades will invest $120M to support forest communities, boosting sustainable livelihoods across reserves nearly the size of the U.K.
[COMMENTARY]
Just a year after creating the North Atlantic’s largest MPA network, the Azores may allow tuna fishing in no-take zones.
An op-ed warns this would undermine a global conservation win amid growing political backsliding.
** Views are author's.
Just a year after creating the North Atlantic’s largest MPA network, the Azores may allow tuna fishing in no-take zones.
An op-ed warns this would undermine a global conservation win amid growing political backsliding.
** Views are author's.
Azores must respect its exceptional network of marine protected areas (commentary)
At the end of 2024, the Azores stood as a beacon of hope and a global leader in ocean conservation, having created the largest network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the North Atlantic. The…
news.mongabay.com
January 6, 2026 at 7:18 PM
[COMMENTARY]
Just a year after creating the North Atlantic’s largest MPA network, the Azores may allow tuna fishing in no-take zones.
An op-ed warns this would undermine a global conservation win amid growing political backsliding.
** Views are author's.
Just a year after creating the North Atlantic’s largest MPA network, the Azores may allow tuna fishing in no-take zones.
An op-ed warns this would undermine a global conservation win amid growing political backsliding.
** Views are author's.
The first authoritative count estimates more than 145,000 African forest elephants. Using DNA from dung, researchers found Central Africa holds 96% of them — with Gabon alone home to about 95,000 — offering clearer guidance for conservation planning.
Poaching down but threats remain for forest elephants, recent population assessment finds
More than 145,000 African forest elephants roam the rainforests of Africa, according to a recent population assessment. Published in December by the African Elephant Specialist Group at the IUCN, the…
news.mongabay.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:14 PM
The first authoritative count estimates more than 145,000 African forest elephants. Using DNA from dung, researchers found Central Africa holds 96% of them — with Gabon alone home to about 95,000 — offering clearer guidance for conservation planning.
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
After 50 years in the Amazon, ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin says the forest is neither half-full nor half-empty — it’s both.
Protections and Indigenous leadership have grown, but crime, climate stress and deforestation remain.
After 50 years in the Amazon, ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin says the forest is neither half-full nor half-empty — it’s both.
Protections and Indigenous leadership have grown, but crime, climate stress and deforestation remain.
The climate fight may not be won in the Amazon, but it can be lost there
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. After five decades studying the plants and peoples of the Amazon,…
news.mongabay.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:35 PM
[FOUNDER'S BRIEF - @rhettayersbutler.bsky.social]
After 50 years in the Amazon, ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin says the forest is neither half-full nor half-empty — it’s both.
Protections and Indigenous leadership have grown, but crime, climate stress and deforestation remain.
After 50 years in the Amazon, ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin says the forest is neither half-full nor half-empty — it’s both.
Protections and Indigenous leadership have grown, but crime, climate stress and deforestation remain.
Environmental reporting is under pressure — just as biodiversity loss and climate impacts accelerate.
Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship supports early-career journalists from tropical countries with paid mentorship & publishing support.
Apply Dec. 15–Feb. 1: buff.ly/oARaICG.
Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship supports early-career journalists from tropical countries with paid mentorship & publishing support.
Apply Dec. 15–Feb. 1: buff.ly/oARaICG.
January 6, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Environmental reporting is under pressure — just as biodiversity loss and climate impacts accelerate.
Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship supports early-career journalists from tropical countries with paid mentorship & publishing support.
Apply Dec. 15–Feb. 1: buff.ly/oARaICG.
Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship supports early-career journalists from tropical countries with paid mentorship & publishing support.
Apply Dec. 15–Feb. 1: buff.ly/oARaICG.
Countries under the UN migratory species treaty have proposed stronger protections for 42 animals — from seabirds and snowy owls to cheetahs, hyenas and sharks.
The move targets species already threatened but not yet listed, with decisions due in March in Brazil.
The move targets species already threatened but not yet listed, with decisions due in March in Brazil.
Snowy owl, striped hyena, sharks among migratory species proposed for greater protections
Countries under the international treaty to protect migratory animals have proposed increasing protections for 42 species. These include numerous seabirds, the snowy owl, several sharks, the striped…
news.mongabay.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Countries under the UN migratory species treaty have proposed stronger protections for 42 animals — from seabirds and snowy owls to cheetahs, hyenas and sharks.
The move targets species already threatened but not yet listed, with decisions due in March in Brazil.
The move targets species already threatened but not yet listed, with decisions due in March in Brazil.
Fieldwork carries real risk in rural Mexico.
That context matters in the disappearance of biologist Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca, kidnapped in Veracruz in Nov 2025 after a “request for dialogue.”
His family says he was taken alive and is calling for visibility.
That context matters in the disappearance of biologist Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca, kidnapped in Veracruz in Nov 2025 after a “request for dialogue.”
His family says he was taken alive and is calling for visibility.
Biologist kidnapped in Mexico
In the mountains of central Veracruz, scientific work is rarely abstract. It means walking narrow paths through cloud forest, speaking patiently with communities, and learning to read landscapes that…
news.mongabay.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Fieldwork carries real risk in rural Mexico.
That context matters in the disappearance of biologist Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca, kidnapped in Veracruz in Nov 2025 after a “request for dialogue.”
His family says he was taken alive and is calling for visibility.
That context matters in the disappearance of biologist Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca, kidnapped in Veracruz in Nov 2025 after a “request for dialogue.”
His family says he was taken alive and is calling for visibility.