BIOETHICS AND FORCED DISAPPEARANCES: ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY

Cruz García Lirios*, Reyna Amador Velázquez, Oscar Coronado Rincón, Eyder Bolívar Mojica, Sonia Sujell Vélez Báez, Nadya Elizabeth Vásquez Segura, Felipe de Jesús Vilchis Mora, Josefina Haydee Gutiérrez Hernández

ABSTRACT

This paper analyzes the bioethical implications of forced disappearances in Latin America, focusing on Mexico as a paradigmatic case of institutional omission and moral breakdown. The study aims to interpret the intersection between bioethics, human dignity, and political responsibility in contexts of systematic violence. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with relatives of the disappeared, public officials, and human rights defenders (n=30). The results reveal a triadic tension between moral suffering, institutional normalization of violence, and collective ethical resistance. Thematic coding shows that bioethical reflection transcends medical ethics, encompassing public responsibility and epistemic justice. The findings are discussed in light of Levinas’ ethics of the Other and Jonas’ principle of responsibility. It is concluded that bioethics must act as a moral language to rehumanize institutions and recognize the irreducible value of life amid political disappearance.

Keywords:

bioethics, forced disappearance, moral responsibility, dignity, institutional ethics, Mexico.

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