# Rescatemos a David y Miguel

Rescatemos a David y Miguel is an antimonumento installed on Paseo de la Reforma Avenue in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City. The work included the installation of the figure of a bi-color male on a plinth. It is dedicated to David Ramírez and Miguel Ángel Rivera, two males who were kidnapped on 5 January 2012 when they were traveling to Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Guerrero. Although the ransom payment was made, both were not returned and their whereabouts or conditions are unknown. The artwork was installed at the Esquina de la Información intersection, opposite the Antimonumento +43 on 5 January 2018. On the sides of the memorial's base, there are brackets where padlocks can be placed as a form of protest.

## Background

David Ramírez Valenzuela González and Miguel Ángel Rivera Díaz, two young adults, were traveling from Mexico City to Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, on 5 January 2012, to celebrate Rivera's 20th birthday. According to Lourdes, one of Ramírez's sisters, the two were traveling along Mexican Federal Highway 134, a route known for its high crime rate. During their journey, when they were in Ciudad Altamirano, Guerrero, they were stopped by men dressed as police officers. Rivera texted a friend, asking him to contact Ramírez's mother because he was being restrained and forced into a vehicle. Deborah, another of Ramírez's sisters, called his phone for hours. When it was answered, she asked if she was speaking with a police officer, but the person on the other end informed her that Ramírez had been kidnapped.
The families of Ramírez and Rivera contacted the police, who provided them with a negotiator. There was communication with the kidnappers for two days. On the third day, the kidnappers specified the location for the ransom delivery. There, a family member of Rivera met with individuals dressed as military personnel and handed over the ransom payment. When he inquired about the whereabouts of Ramírez and Rivera, the kidnapper told him to leave the area and wait for them to arrive a few meters ahead. After waiting for four hours, the police informed them that such exchanges could take up to two weeks. According to Ramírez's family, the identities of some of the kidnappers are known, as the family investigated the GPS of his cellphone. However, the authorities have refused to conduct further investigations. Ramírez and Rivera are officially missing, and their whereabouts and conditions remain unknown.

## History and installation

During the afternoon of 5 January 2018, family and friends installed a sculpture about 3 m (9.8 ft) tall with an image of a man divided in half, using two shades of blue.$^{:136}$ It was placed at the Esquina de la Información intersection, Paseo de la Reforma, in front of the Antimonumento +43 memorial. The sculpture was paid for by Ramírez's mother, Lourdes González, and erected without authorization. She stated that she requested several governmental institutions to install a memorial, but they all refused. The planning of the sculpture began in June 2017 to ensure it could be installed in time for the sixth anniversary of the kidnapping. The monument arrived in two trucks, and the family set up speakers to inform passersby about the installation. The pedestal was secured with rebar in the ground and welded in place. Once it was fixed, cement was poured into the base. The sculpture, which came in two pieces of different colors that were joined together, was set up on its pedestal. The monument also features two plaques, one of which tells the story of Ramírez and Rivera. The installers received threats from unidentified authorities, who mentioned the sculpture would be removed. As a result, they remained at the site for six months to monitor it. According to González, the location was chosen because it is centrally located near the institutions that failed to do their job and have allowed the case to go unpunished.$^{:135–138}$ The sides of the memorial's base have brackets to which locks can be attached as a calling for improved security due to the thousands of kidnappings that occur in the country.