Grey Sites and Black Sites During the Cold War in Mexico: An Approach to the Facilities of the Federal Security Directorate (1947–1985)

Abstract

This study examines the facilities of Mexico's Federal Security Directorate (DFS) from 1947 to 1985 as grey sites – i.e., administrative spaces – and black sites – i.e., clandestine prisons –, analyzing their role in state repression during the Cold War. The central hypothesis argues that the DFS designed a dual architecture to systematically conceal human rights crimes behind institutional facades. Through the analysis of declassified archives, victim testimonies, and visual documentation, the spatial evolution of its headquarters in Plaza de la República and Circular de Morelia was reconstructed. Key findings reveal: a) The persistence of black sites beyond the DFS's formal dissolution, suggesting operational continuity by its successor (CISEN); b) Collusion between political and business elites to fund and conceal these structures; c) Strategic destruction of key facilities to erase evidence. This research underscores the urgency of investigating clandestine geographies of power to understand systemic human rights violations in Mexico.