An Update on the 43 Students Abducted in Mexico

In September 2014, 43 male students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers’ College of Ayotzinapa went missing in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. They had been traveling to Iguala to protest at a conference led by the mayor’s wife when local police intercepted them and a confrontation ensued. The official investigation concludes that the students were handed over to the local Guerreros Unidos (“United Warriors”) crime syndicate and killed.

Iguala’s mayor, José Luis Abarca Velázquez, and his wife María de los Ángeles Pineda Villa are believed to be behind the abduction. Both fled and were arrested about a month later in Mexico City.

In November 2014, Mexican Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam announced the recovery of several plastic bags of human remains in Cocula, Guerrero. One student’s remains were identified. At least 80 suspects, including 44 police officers, have been arrested.

The Human Rights Center of the Mountain Tlachinollan represents the families of the 43 students that remain missing. At a recent talk, they provided updates on the case and their views on the proposals by President Nieto. Listen above.