Mexico to Present New Report on 43 Missing Students as Families Voice Doubt
MEXICO · HUMAN RIGHTS
Key Facts
- —The country Mexico. On 26 September 2014, 43 trainee teachers from a rural college in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero state, disappeared in the city of Iguala.
- —Why it matters It is Mexico’s best-known human-rights case. Twelve years on, the remains of only three students have been identified and, according to AP, nobody has been convicted.
- —What happened The government scheduled a new report for 1pm on Monday 28 September. It had been due on Friday 25 September.
- —Who is involved Human-rights under-secretary Arturo Medina and special prosecutor Mauricio Pazarán are due to present it. The families were not invited.
- —What it means for you A test of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s promise to solve the case. It also shapes how far Mexico’s army can be held to account.
- —Still open Where the students are, and whether the army will hand over more than 800 intelligence files a court ordered released.
Mexico’s government is due to present a new Ayotzinapa report on Monday afternoon, twelve years after 43 students vanished in the southern state of Guerrero. The families say they expect little from it.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said at her morning press conference that the report would be released at 1pm, Infobae reported. She added that it will contain nothing the parents have not already been told.
What the government says it will show
The report will be presented by Arturo Medina, under-secretary for human rights at the Interior Ministry, and by special prosecutor Mauricio Pazarán. Both El Universal and Infobae confirmed the pair.
According to El Universal, Sheinbaum said it will cover searches, new arrests and new lines of inquiry. These include tracking the phones used on the night of the attack and afterwards.
Sheinbaum stressed that the investigation stays open, Infobae reported.
The most prominent recent arrest is that of Ángel Aguirre, Guerrero’s governor in 2014. El Financiero, citing federal prosecutors, reported in August that a judge ordered him to stand trial for forced disappearance and obstruction of justice, over allegedly hidden video footage.
Why the families are sceptical
“Tell us the truth, but with proof,” parents told Proceso in Iguala on Sunday. La Silla Rota quoted one father as saying the previewed findings had already been shared, “unless they surprise us.”
At Saturday’s march in Mexico City, La Razón and La Silla Rota reported, families made two demands. The army should release more than 800 intelligence files, and the independent expert group known as GIEI should return.
Amnesty International, cited by El Financiero, puts the files at 853 and says a court ordered their release. Sheinbaum replied that “the GIEI no longer exists,” Infobae reported, adding that the UN human-rights office is choosing other experts.
Background is in our profile of Claudia Sheinbaum and our report on how Mexico replaced its prosecutor general.
What Is Not Yet Known
The content of the Ayotzinapa report was not public at the time of writing. It is unclear whether it names new suspects or new search sites.
It is also unknown whether the army will hand over the disputed files. The families’ lawyer told El Financiero that the defence ministry has challenged the court order.
Which outside experts will join the case, and when, has not been announced. Sheinbaum said Medina would take further questions at Tuesday’s press conference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Ayotzinapa?
On 26 September 2014, 43 students from the rural teacher-training college at Ayotzinapa were attacked and taken in Iguala, Guerrero. Only three have been identified from remains.
Who is presenting the new Ayotzinapa report?
Arturo Medina, the Interior Ministry’s under-secretary for human rights, and Mauricio Pazarán, the special prosecutor for the case. The families were not invited to the presentation.
What are the families demanding?
They want to know where the students are. They also want the army to release more than 800 intelligence files and the independent GIEI experts to return.
Sources: Infobae; El Universal; Proceso; La Silla Rota; La Razón; El Financiero; AP.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
Read More from The Rio Times