Background
The Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers' College in Ayotzinapa, in the Mexican state of Guerrero, trains young people from poor rural communities and has a long tradition of protest. In September 2014, students travelled to the city of Iguala to secure buses for the annual commemoration march for the Tlatelolco massacre in Mexico City.
What happened
On the night of 26 September 2014, Iguala police intercepted the students, who had taken over several buses. Six people died in the shootings and many were wounded. Initially 57 students were reported missing; some later reappeared, leaving 43 unaccounted for.
In Mexico the case has become a symbol of enforced disappearance and of ties between public officials and criminal groups.
After the disappearance, large demonstrations took place across Mexico in support of the students. International organisations and United Nations bodies joined the families in calling for an independent inquiry. The case became one of the best-known symbols in Mexico of enforced disappearance and impunity.
After the disappearance, demonstrations took place across Mexico in support of the students. International organisations and United Nations bodies joined the families in calling for an independent inquiry. The case became one of the best-known symbols in Mexico of enforced disappearance and impunity.
Investigation and legal process
In September 2014, 22 Iguala police officers were detained. In November 2014, then Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam presented what became known as the 'historical truth': that municipal police handed the students to the Guerreros Unidos gang, which killed them and burned the bodies at the Cocula garbage dump. In 2015, an international panel of experts (GIEI) concluded that burning the bodies there was scientifically impossible.
Only three students have been identified from remains: Alexander Mora Venancio (2014), Jhosivani Guerrero de la Cruz (2015) and Christian Alfonso Rodríguez Telumbre (2020). Iguala's mayor José Luis Abarca and his wife were arrested in November 2014. In 2022 a truth commission called the case a 'state crime', and Murillo Karam was arrested that year.
Where it stands today
The fate of the remaining 40 students is still unknown. Families have continued to hold actions on the 26th of every month. Disputes over access to military archives and the withdrawal of some arrest warrants show that the process is unfinished.