National: Parents of 43 Ayotzinapa Student Teachers March in Mexico City, Numerous Protests Mark Fifth Anniversary of Disappearance

@sopitas.com

On the fifth anniversary of the disappearance of their children, parents of the 43 students of the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero, in September 2014, held a peaceful demonstration in Mexico City and demanded results in the investigation of the case from the Mexican government. This same day they also spoke in the Chamber of Deputies, where they told their personal experiences, and highlighted the irregularities and the failure of government investigations and actions so far.

Cruz Mendoza, one of the parents, said: “This government that we have right now, I believe it is willing, although until now there have just been words and more words, because the case has not progressed much, as we would like it to. We will continue in this fight, walking, as for five years, that have been of suffering, tormented. It’s five years I don’t want to remember, I feel like it’s the first day. We don’t know anything about our children, where they are, what happened to them.”

Demonstrations were also held in other parts of the country. In Chiapas, students from the Jacinto Canek and Mactumatza schools held a march of around 500 people in Tuxtla Gutierrez. In Oaxaca, student teachers also demonstrated, while the Institute of Graphic Arts of Oaxaca (IAGO in its Spanish acronym) organized an exhibition of kites made by Francisco Toledo, in memory of the 43 victims.

In the activities in Mexico City, around one hundred people committed acts of vandalism, which damaged 30 businesses and public offices, and left two injured police officers. The parents of the 43 distanced themselves from these actions, emphasizing that they were the work of only a fraction of the more than 5,000 people who participated in the demonstrations in this City.

For his part, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) wore a shirt that the parents of the 43 gave him on the day, as an expression of his support. He reiterated his government’s commitment to establishing the truth about what happened.

For more information in Spanish:

‘Vamos a seguir en esta lucha, caminando, como desde hace 5 años’: padres de normalistas en marcha en CDMX Animal Político, 26 de septiembre de 2019.

Marchan en Oaxaca y Chiapas a cinco años de caso Ayotzinapa Milenio, 26 de septiembre de 2019.

Padres de desaparecidos de Ayotzinapa hablan en la Cámara de Diputados E-consulta.com Oaxaca, 26 de septiembre de 2019.

Dañaron 30 inmuebles y lesionaron a dos policías en marcha de Ayotzinapa Milenio, 26 de septiembre de 2019.

En la mañanera, AMLO usa playera alusiva a Ayotzinapa Milenio, 26 de septiembre de 2019.

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero: Attorney General Will Investigate Ayotzinapa Case “Almost from Scratch” (September 25, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Reactions to Liberation of 24 Involved in Ayotzinapa Case (September 23, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Relatives of the 43 Student Teachers Disappeared in Iguala in 2014 Meet AMLO (September 23, 2019)

Guerrero: New Stage in Investigation of Ayotzinapa Case – Creation of Special Investigation Unit with Omar Gomez Trejo as Head (July 8, 2019)

National/Guerrero: VIDEO of Torture in Ayotzinapa Case Belies “Historic Truth” (June 27, 2019)

Guerrero: Attorney General and SEDENA Denounced for Lack of Interest in Solving Ayotzinapa Case (May 17, 2019)

Guerrero/National: More Information Published on Role of Army in Ayotzinapa Case (March 15, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Commission for Truth and Access to Justice in Ayotzinapa Case Set Up. Federal Judge Orders Investigation into Possible Responsibility of Attorney General Employees for Irregularities (January 22nd, 2019)

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Guerrero: Attorney General Will Investigate Ayotzinapa Case “Almost from Scratch”

On September 18th, Vidulfo Rosales, lawyer for the relatives of the 43 students of the Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School who disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero in September 2014, reported that after a meeting with the attorney general, Alejandro Gertz Manero, he agreed to restart the investigations “almost, almost from scratch” while recognizing “the irregularities that were committed.”

After the meeting in which President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) participated as an honorary witness, the member of the Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center announced that it seeks to have “a solid base” and that, in December, a first evaluation will be made of the new inquiries. He added that Gertz Manero offered that all mechanisms would be sought to prevent the continued release of more accused persons in relation to the events.

“We have the route from here to December, we must have clear advances in the lines of investigation that we have pointed out, there must be people held responsible for the irregularities, indications of where the students are must be strengthened, who, as long as we do not have scientific and irrefutable evidence, are still being looked for alive,” the lawyer said.

For his part, and upon leaving the meeting in the national palace, the Special Prosecutor of the Ayotzinapa Case Unit, Omar Gomez Trejo, said that “many officials who have been acting in the different areas of responsibility” are being investigated. He added that “we are carrying out nine searches in different places” and will soon undertake two more. He stressed that “the main commitment is to make an independent, objective, clear investigation that breaks that narrative that has been created in the previous years.”

Upon leaving the meeting, on behalf of the fathers and mothers of the 43 student teachers, Cristina Bautista, stressed that these commitments generate “faith and hope” as “a step forward to continue with the investigations.” She clarified, however, that “trust in officials will be built as the investigation progresses.”

For more information in Spanish:

Reiniciarán “desde cero” investigaciones del caso Ayotzinapa, acuerdan padres de los 43 y FGR (Aristegui Noticias, 18 de septiembre de 2019)

FGR y familiares de los 43 de Ayotzinapa acuerdan reuniones trimestrales (Proceso, 18 de septiembre de 2019)

FGR ofrece a padres reconstruir investigaciones por desaparición de normalistas de Ayotzinapa (Animal Político, 18 de septiembre de 2019)

Ayotzinapa, cinco años (Ayotzinapa, 18 de septiembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero/National: Reactions to Liberation of 24 Involved in Ayotzinapa Case (September 23, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Relatives of the 43 Student Teachers Disappeared in Iguala in 2014 Meet AMLO (September 23, 2019)

Guerrero: New Stage in Investigation of Ayotzinapa Case – Creation of Special Investigation Unit with Omar Gomez Trejo as Head (July 8, 2019)

National/Guerrero: VIDEO of Torture in Ayotzinapa Case Belies “Historic Truth” (June 27, 2019)

Guerrero: Attorney General and SEDENA Denounced for Lack of Interest in Solving Ayotzinapa Case (May 17, 2019)

Guerrero/National: More Information Published on Role of Army in Ayotzinapa Case (March 15, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Commission for Truth and Access to Justice in Ayotzinapa Case Set Up. Federal Judge Orders Investigation into Possible Responsibility of Attorney General Employees for Irregularities (January 22nd, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Reactions to Liberation of 24 Involved in Ayotzinapa Case

On September 15th, a few days before the fifth anniversary of the forced disappearance of 43 students from the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa, in Iguala, Guerrero, the undersecretary of Human Rights of the Interior, Alejandro Encinas, reported that a judge granted the freedom to 24 accused for their alleged participation in the events. He added that there are already 77 people released, of the 142 who had been arrested in the case, and that there are only 65 people detained in relation to it. He left open the possibility that there could still be more releases. He considered that this constitutes a “serious precedent” and an “affront to the victims, to the parents and a mockery of justice”; He said that “it shows the misery, the rot in which the justice system in the country finds itself.” “The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) must endorse responsibilities to the ex-judge Jesus Murillo Karam, as well as Tomas Zeron de Lucio – formerly in charge of the Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) ”, Encinas, who heads the Commission for the Truth and Access to Justice in the Ayotzinapa case, also stated. The day before, the Prosecutor’s Office of Ayotzinapa, attached to the FGR, announced that it will “present all the resources” against the officials who “have failed to fulfill their functions” since the beginning of the case.

The next day, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH in its Spanish acronym) also regretted these releases and reiterated the “need for all criminal proceedings initiated to be strengthened” following the recommendation 15VG / 2018 issued by this body in November 2018, which “has not yet been seen to or fulfilled.” “It is urgent that the current Prosecutor General of the Republic (FGR in its Spanish acronym) acts to remedy such situations, strengthening, redirecting or initiating new criminal proceedings, duly supported, that allow the re-apprehension of those who were responsible that had been released,” he said.

For more information in Spanish:

Lamenta CNDH liberación de 24 inculpados en caso Ayotzinapa (Aristegui Noticias, 17 de septiembre de 2019)

Liberan a otros 24 inculpados en la desaparición de normalistas (CNN en México, 16 de septiembre de 2019)

Preocupa liberación de inculpados a 5 años del caso Ayotzinapa: Melitón Ortega (MVS Noticias, 16 de septiembre de 2019)

Quedaron libres otros 24 inculpados por el caso Ayotzinapa: Encinas (Animal Político, 15 de septiembre de 2019)

Liberan a 24 personas más ligadas al caso Ayotzinapa; quedan sólo 65 detenidos de 142 (Proceso, 15 de septiembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero/National: Relatives of the 43 Student Teachers Disappeared in Iguala in 2014 Meet AMLO (September 23, 2019)

Guerrero: New Stage in Investigation of Ayotzinapa Case – Creation of Special Investigation Unit with Omar Gomez Trejo as Head (July 8, 2019)

National/Guerrero: VIDEO of Torture in Ayotzinapa Case Belies “Historic Truth” (June 27, 2019)

Guerrero: Attorney General and SEDENA Denounced for Lack of Interest in Solving Ayotzinapa Case (May 17, 2019)

Guerrero/National: More Information Published on Role of Army in Ayotzinapa Case (March 15, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Commission for Truth and Access to Justice in Ayotzinapa Case Set Up. Federal Judge Orders Investigation into Possible Responsibility of Attorney General Employees for Irregularities (January 22nd, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Relatives of the 43 Student Teachers Disappeared in Iguala in 2014 Meet AMLO

On September 11th, relatives of the 43 students of the Normal Rural School of Ayotzinapa who disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero, in September 2014, held a private meeting with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO).

According to the PRODH Center, which accompanies the family members, they “stated before the president that not all institutions – notably, the FGR, SEDENA and the Federal Police – are making efforts together with the Commission for Truth and Access to the Justice of the Ayotzinapa case, headed by Alejandro Encinas, from whom they recognized the commitment put things in the order.” For this reason they asked AMLO to intercede before the Attorney General, Alejandro Gertz Manero, “to reiterate his commitment in the investigation, including in the investigations of those responsible for the irregularities, and to meet with them. They also asked for the deepening of international aid, which has arrived in a timely manner and, especially, that Lopez Obrador does not leave them alone.” The PRODH Center also reported that “the head of the Executive established four commitments: establish bimonthly meetings with families; manage a meeting with the FGR; call on institutions, including SEDENA, to support the Commission and deepen international assistance.”

After the meeting, the undersecretary of the Interior for human rights, Alejandro Encinas, informed that there is “new evidence” available to the Ayotzinapa Truth Commission that allows us to assume that disappeared student teachers remain in the state of Guerrero: “There are indications that we are investigating just now. New clues, lines of inveatigation that were not taken care of and the lines of investigation that we are developing.” He also said that the meeting with the parents of the student teachers was “excellent and on very good terms.”

The next day, AMLO explained the actions carried out by the government in a press conference and said that, “we need results, to know where youths are, and we are doing everything that can be done, should be done, everything. Yesterday I explained the decisions that have been taken in this regard and our interest in continuing the search for the youths is a matter of the highest priority for the government, it is a justice and humanitarian issue.”

For more information in Spanish:

AMLO se reúne con los familiares de los 43 estudiantes de Ayotzinapa: “A 5 años de la desaparición de nuestros hijos, la herida sigue abierta” (BBC News, 12 de septiembre de 2019)

Necesitamos resultados para el caso Ayotzinapa: AMLO (La Jornada, 12 de septiembre de 2019)

Ayotzinapa: Tras encuentro con presidente, logran familias seguimiento estrecho a investigación (Centro ProDH, 12 de septiembre de 2019)

Nuevas evidencias estiman que normalistas de Ayotzinapa estarían en Guerrero: Encinas (Aristegui Noticias, 11 de septiembre de 2019)

Normalistas de Ayotzinapa podrían permanecer en Guerrero: Alejandro Encinas (Vanguardia, 11 de septiembre de 2019)

Los errores en el expediente de Ayotzinapa (Proceso, 9 de septiembre de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Guerrero: New Stage in Investigation of Ayotzinapa Case – Creation of Special Investigation Unit with Omar Gomez Trejo as Head (July 8, 2019)

National/Guerrero: VIDEO of Torture in Ayotzinapa Case Belies “Historic Truth” (June 27, 2019)

Guerrero: Attorney General and SEDENA Denounced for Lack of Interest in Solving Ayotzinapa Case (May 17, 2019)

Guerrero/National: More Information Published on Role of Army in Ayotzinapa Case (March 15, 2019)

Guerrero/National: Commission for Truth and Access to Justice in Ayotzinapa Case Set Up. Federal Judge Orders Investigation into Possible Responsibility of Attorney General Employees for Irregularities (January 22nd, 2019)

International/National: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Expresses Concern over Unresolved Issues in Mexico

Michelle Bachelet (UNO News)

On September 4th, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed concern about the “terrible” situation of journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland. She recalled that the Office of the High Commissioner in Mexico (UNHCHR) has “documented the murder of 11 journalists and 13 human rights defenders this year, an analysis was made on the Protection Mechanism for Journalists and Defenders and (…) We gave 104 recommendations to the government to strengthen it.” Bachelet called on the government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) to take them into account. Likewise, she expressed concern about the increase in violence in the country, in particular for femicides and the situation of women and girls in general.

On the issue of migration, she commented that “another alarming thing (…) is that on the border with the United States more than 332 people have died or disappeared since early 2019 and 24 of them are children. We don’t know if they were kidnapped, trafficked or enslaved.” She clarified that “when migration is restricted, it must always be in accordance with certain international standards.” She said that “countries like the United States are adopting policies that put people in a more vulnerable situation” underlining that “unfortunately the separation of families continues and hundreds of children in the United States are still being held there and we have also received reports of this in Mexico , but we don’t have figures yet (regarding Mexico).”

As regards the National Guard, she mentioned that “we are about to increase our collaboration with Mexican institutions in the implementation of the agreement with the National Guard.”

She also addressed the issue of disappearances, with 40,000 missing and 23,000 bodies that remain unidentified “due to the forensic crisis.” She recognized the announcement of the AMLO government to accept the competence of the UN Committee on forced disappearances to receive individual communications as a “step forward.”

In this regard, Erika Guevara Rosas, director of Amnesty International for the Americas, also stated: “The announcement of the Mexican government is an important sign of its will to achieve justice, truth, and reparation in cases of forced disappearance in the country. This issue, which for years has put a shadow on human rights in Mexico, requires all the efforts and resources available to find a solution.” For her part, Tania Reneaum, Executive Director of Amnesty International Mexico, said that “it is a good step towards the recognition of the responsibility of the State in the disappearance of people, and we hope it will be the beginning of a path to the certainty to which the more than 40 thousand families that continue to suffer the pain of uncertainty have a right”

For more information in Spanish:

ONU-DH: “Terrible”, la situación de periodistas y defensores en México; pide acatar recomendaciones (Proceso, 4 de septiembre de 2019)

ONU expresa preocupación ante ausencia de consultas a pueblos indígenas en México (Proceso, 4 de septiembre de 2019)

El mundo se aleja poco a poco de las soluciones globales para los problemas mundiales (ONU Noticias, 4 de septiembre de 2019)

México: Autoridades dan importante paso al anunciar que aceptarán la competencia del Comité de la ONU sobre desapariciones forzadas (Amnistía Internacional, 30 de agosto de 2019)

Acepta gobierno federal participación de comité de la ONU contra las Desapariciones Forzadas (Aristegui Noticias, 30 de agosto de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

National/International: UNO Presents Diagnostic of Protection Mechanism of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (September 2, 2019)

National: Consultative Council on Mechanism for Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists (April 11, 2019)

National: Mechanism for Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists Reviewed (March 31, 2019)

National/International: UNHCHR Condemns Murders of Defenders and Journalists in Chiapas and Baja California and Questions Efficacy of Government Protection Mechanism (January 31, 2019)

National: 161 Defenders and 40 Journalists Murdered in Last Presidential Term of Office (December 14, 2018)

National: Federal Mechanism for Journalists and Defenders without Funding (October 14, 2018)

Chiapas: Public Denouncement of Human Rights Violations in CERSS nº10 in Comitan

On August 14th, prisoners Marcelino Ruiz Gomez and Baldemar Gomez Hernandez, of the Viniketik Organization in Resistencia, issued a public complaint from CERSS nº10 in Comitan against mistreatment received and to request “intervention by human rights and social organizations to demand the cessation of all abuse.”

Both prisoners have just carried out a hunger strike as a strategy of non-violent political struggle to make their situation of injustice visible. In their complaint they explain that, “for more than four months since the beginning of our fight in this CERSS nº10 of Comitan Chiapas, we are recovering from the hunger strike, and the chief director of this center and his warden David Arias Jimenez, haven’t stopped harassing us. We denounce that all the time we have been subjected to mistreatment and intimidation given that in the site of protest where we had put our tarpaulin to protect us from the sun yesterday, August 13th at 6:00 pm, Commander Bili and his guards destroyed the site of protest and today the director came to threaten to move us to another prison arguing that we are planning an escape. All this time we have been threatened by Alejendro Constantino Hernandez.”

They ask “the competent authorities and to the governor of the State of Chiapas, Rutilio Escandon Cadenas, to stop the harassment of psychological torture and to respect our space of protest where we have been in a sit-in where our voice that we are asking for justice to be done for us and freedom (sic.)”

For more information in Spanish:

Viniketik en Resistencia: denuncia ante el desmantelamiento de su plantón (Grupo de trabajo “No estamos todxs”, 14 de agosto de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Hunger Strikers’ Lives at Risk (July 20, 2019)

Chiapas: After over 100 Days on Hunger Strike, Prisoners Need Appropriate Medical Attention and Continue to Demand Freedom (June 27, 2019)

Chiapas: Plantón y Ayuno en Solidaridad con Presos en Huelga de Hambre (a 84 días de su inicio), (June 6, 2019)

Chiapas: Indigenous Prisoner Released after 16 Years Awaiting Sentencing and 60 Days Hunger Strike (May 26, 2019)

Chiapas: Alejandro Diaz Santiz Free

Solidarios de la Voz del Amate, Photo @Sipaz

On August 8th, Alejandro Diaz Santiz, a Tsotsil indigenous, obtained the benefit of pre-release after twenty years and four months in prison. Alejandro became a member of the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle in 2006 and is a member of the group Solidarios de la Voz del Amate.

In a press conference held on August 14th, Alejandro spoke of violations of his rights and due process of which he was a victim. He reported not having had the right to a translator during his detention. He denounced the criminalization suffered by being indigenous. He said he had been beaten several times for “being indigenous and from Chiapas.” He explained that in the prison of Ignacio Allende, in Verarcuz, in which he was imprisoned for about ten years, he was beaten under the orders of the sub-directorate for the reason of being from Chiapas and because it was thought that “all people from Chiapas were Zapatistas”.

Pre-release is a right that can be obtained under the following conditions: having more than 50 percent of your sentence purged, having participated in social reintegration activities and obtaining accreditation of the social work and health exams performed inside the jail.

 For more information in Spanish:


Alejandro Diaz Santiz LIBRE YA! (Espoir Chiapas, 9 de agosto del 2019)

¡¡¡Alejandro Díaz Santiz Libre!!! (Voces de Jovel Radio, 8 de agosto de 2019)

Trasladan al indígena tzotzil Alejandro Diaz a penal de San Cristóbal (La Jornada, 1 de julio de 2019)

Padre Solalinde pide intervención de gobernador de Veracruz en caso de indígena preso (El Heraldo de México, 31 de marzo de 2019)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Alejandro Diaz Santiz Reiterates His Demand for Freedom (September 12, 2016)

Chiapas: Alejandro Diaz Santiz Reports Mistreatment of Prisoners (June 8, 2016)