by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Feb. 26, 2024
The hopes of finding 26-year-old Dora Salas alive were dashed as her family received the devastating news of her murder. The body of the Belizean woman, who was reported missing in Guatemala, was discovered near a garbage dump in San Francisco, Peten.
Salas, a resident of Belmopan, Belize, had vanished on February 21 while in Flores Peten, Guatemala, prompting a frantic search effort by her family.
Missing person flyers flooded social media platforms in a desperate attempt to locate her.
Over the weekend, however, Salas’s family received the heartbreaking confirmation of her death after authorities sent them photos of her body, which they were able to identify.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Salas had been shot to death, and further details indicate that she had also been subjected to sexual assault.
This adds to the number of Belizeans who have been subjected to violence in neighboring countries, more notably in Mexico. Last year alone, at least 4 Belizeans were targeted while in the state of Quintana Roo.
The discovery of her body has sparked outrage among her family and the community, many demanding justice for Salas, with comments on social media posts such as: “This is happening too often. Need to be properly investigated”; and, “Let’s hope they gets justice for this young lady.”
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Salas on their tragic loss.