Eighty years ago, at the end of World War II, the world struggled to comprehend the brutality of a regime that turned death into an industry. Hitler and his extermination machinery designed concentration camps where millions were reduced to ashes in crematorium ovens. The images of stacked bodies and the smoke rising from the chimneys became the ultimate symbol of horror—a reminder of what humans are capable of when barbarism becomes a system.
The world swore, “Never again.” But in Mexico, that “never again” means nothing.
Here, extermination is not orchestrated by a totalitarian state (yet) but by cartels that have perfected their version of hell. There are no longer trains heading to Auschwitz, but there are vans filled with kidnapped victims who will never return. There are no SS crematoriums, but there are “narco-ovens” where bodies burn until they disappear. There are no gas chambers, but there are barrels of acid where victims dissolve as if they never existed. The methods have changed, but the logic remains unchanged: extermination without a trace.
In Auschwitz, the condemned were Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, and political dissidents. In Mexico, the victims are migrants who crossed the wrong border, journalists who spoke the truth, women who were in the wrong place, police officers who refused to be bought, and young people kidnapped never to return. Here, death does not discriminate, and neither do the executioners.
Photos by Ulises Ruiz – AFP
The most terrifying thing is not the violence. It is the indifference.
The world looked on in horror at the crimes of the Nazis, and Germany was forced to confront its past. In Mexico, however, we merely count the dead and uncover clandestine graves with the weariness of someone flipping through the crime section of a newspaper. We listen as the State mumbles excuses, always blaming others—past governments, the “cursed inheritance”—everyone except its ineptitude or collusion.
Here, the narco-ovens remain lit. And the most concerning part is that we have grown used to their smoke.
We have become passive witnesses to our own holocaust. We applaud empty speeches, feign surprise at massacres that repeat over and over again, and keep asking who is to blame. While the killers continue making bodies disappear, and impunity allows them to do so without consequences.
The force of the Allied armies extinguished Hitler’s ovens. In Mexico, there are no allies, and no one is coming to save us, so the narco-ovens remain burning, fueled by corruption, impunity, and the cowardice of a State that prefers to look the other way.
One question remains, floating among ashes and charred bones: Until when?
José E. Urioste
For Times Media Mexico / The Yucatan Times
CDMX
March 12, 2025
José E. Urioste is a Yucatecan businessman, Business Intelligence expert, and published author. Renowned for his sharp and unfiltered analysis, he contributes to national media and has hosted radio shows that delve into business, politics, and social issues. His work challenges conventional narratives, offering bold perspectives that provoke debate and inspire critical thinking.
