麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Families of 43 missing students in Mexico are still demanding justice 10 years later

A masked youth takes part in a demonstration marking the 10-year anniversary of the disappearance of 43 students from an Ayotzinapa rural teacher's college, in Mexico City, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) A masked youth takes part in a demonstration marking the 10-year anniversary of the disappearance of 43 students from an Ayotzinapa rural teacher's college, in Mexico City, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Share
MEXICO CITY -

Families of the 43 students from a rural teacher鈥檚 college abducted 10 years ago in southern Mexico marked the painful anniversary Thursday, disillusioned after what they say was a decade of unfulfilled government promises.

Thousands marched with the families in the rain through Mexico's capital, demanding the truth about what happened and justice for the missing.

鈥淭he first time we came through here, who could have imagined that all of this time would pass and (we're) here again without answers,鈥 said Margarito Guerrero, the father of missing student Jhosivani Guerrero de la Cruz.

Guerrero appreciated those who accompanied them, like Lourdes Silva, a homemaker, participating in her first march with her daughter, a student who has been following the families' movement for a decade.

鈥淲e need to keep pressuring,鈥 Silva said. 鈥淲e want this agony to end for the parents.鈥

The anniversary falls just four days before the departure of President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador, whose election in 2018 generated hope among the families.

Youths chant and raise their fists in unison as they take part in a demonstration marking the 10-year anniversary of the disappearance of 43 students from an Ayotzinapa rural teacher's college, in Mexico City, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

His administration made some early advances, established a Truth Commission and declared the disappearances a 鈥渟tate crime.鈥 But when the investigation stalled without the cooperation of the military, the president closed ranks with the generals.

鈥淗e gave us a lot of hope,鈥 said Joaquina Garc铆a, mother of missing student Mart铆n Getsemany S谩nchez. 鈥淏ut it looks like he really protects the military and that鈥檚 not fair.鈥

On Sept. 26, 2014, students from the Rural Normal School at Ayotzinapa went to Iguala to steal buses 鈥 a common way they obtained transportation. They were attacked by a local drug gang in cahoots with local, state and federal authorities.

Two administrations later, many details of what happened to the students and most importantly where they are remain unknown. They are among the more than 115,000 recorded missing in Mexico.

鈥淭en years of suffering, 10 years of pain, of not having your son isn鈥檛 easy,鈥 Garc铆a said at an event Thursday at Mexico鈥檚 National Autonomous University. 鈥淗ere we鈥檙e shouting to see if the people who took our children will find it in their heart.鈥

Some 120 people are in custody. Mexico鈥檚 former attorney general has been charged in inventing a false narrative about what happened.

L贸pez Obrador had promised to solve the mystery. But on Wednesday, he downplayed, minimized and even pushed back against the findings of his own administration, asserting that those trying to link the military are driven by 鈥減olitical interests.鈥

The United Nations Human Rights Office lamented in a statement Thursday the 鈥渦nsatisfactory results鈥 of authorities. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which sent experts to Mexico to aid in the investigation for eight years said in a statement it was worried the investigation had stalled and denounced a 鈥減act of silence that has impeded the identification of the perpetrators and those who cover for them.鈥

The families are prepared to pressure incoming President Claudia Sheinbaum as well.

鈥淲e're going to press her if she doesn't respond,鈥 Guerrero said.

Garc铆a agreed. 鈥淭his fight is not over.鈥

Workers remove a spray painted message accusing the government for the disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa rural teacher's college students, after a demonstration marking the 10-year anniversary of their disappearance, in Mexico City, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Orbach)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

WATCH LIVE

WATCH LIVE Helene strengthens to a Category 4 hurricane as it nears Florida's Gulf Coast

Helene strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane hours ahead of its expected landfall on Florida's northwest coast Thursday night, and forecasters warned that the enormous storm could create a 'nightmare' surge in coastal areas and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern U.S.

Canadian singer K'naan has been charged with sexual assault after being arrested by police in Quebec City.

An Air Canada flight headed to Toronto from Frankfurt diverted to Edinburgh due to an emergency Thursday, the airline says.

Scammers are increasingly using emails to extort money from victims by threatening to reveal compromising photos, videos and personal information to their friends and family members, according to a new warning from Mounties in Metro Vancouver.

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Local Spotlight

A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.

Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.

Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.

A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.

An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

Before influencers on social media, Canada鈥檚 Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary鈥檚 Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.