Angel Aguirre, the former governor of Guerrero state in Mexico, has been arrested on charges of hiding evidence and obstructing the investigation into the disappearance of 43 students in the Ayotzinapa case.
The incident, which occurred in 2014, is considered one of the most symbolic cases of corruption, impunity, and forced disappearances in Mexico. According to Attorney General Ernestina Godoy, Aguirre allegedly ordered government employees and high-ranking state officials to conceal evidence related to the case.
The 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College were traveling to Mexico City to participate in a protest on September 26, 2014, when they were stopped by local police in the town of Iguala. A violent confrontation ensued, resulting in the deaths of six people and the disappearance of the 43 students.
Despite the arrest of dozens of people, including government officials, police, and others, only the remains of three students have been found so far. The whereabouts of the remaining 40 students remain unknown.
Aguirre, 70, resigned from his post in 2014, shortly after the incident. The initial investigation by the government of then-President Enrique Peña Nieto concluded that the students were killed and burned by local officials and drug traffickers.
However, subsequent investigations have referred to the incident as a ‘state crime.’ The latest investigation found that the students were attacked as a result of a conspiracy between local police and a criminal group.
The families of the victims have long accused the Mexican military of being involved in the incident. In 2022, three soldiers, including a general, were arrested, and in 2023, an independent investigative commission accused the military of hiding crucial evidence.
The Ayotzinapa case is now under the responsibility of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government. She has pledged to uncover the truth, ensure justice, and reveal the facts about the disappeared students.
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