Former Guerrero Governor Charged Over 2014 Disappearance of 43 Ayotzinapa Students

A judge ruled that Mexico’s attorney general presented enough proof to formally charge former Guerrero governor Ángel Aguirre with forced disappearance and obstruction of justice for the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college. Prosecutors allege Aguirre ordered the erasure of surveillance footage that could have clarified the night of 26 September 2014, when the students were seized by a criminal gang collaborating with municipal police.

Defense attorney Guillermo Baradas contested the allegations, claiming the evidence shows a meeting attended by Aguirre rather than wrongdoing. The indictment marks the most significant development since the 2022 arrest of former attorney general Jesús Murillo Karam. President Claudia Sheinbaum has created a special unit to re-examine the case, insisting on uncovering the truth and punishing those responsible.

Only three of the victims’ remains have been identified, leaving the fate of the remaining 40 unknown. The case continues to symbolize Mexico’s broader challenges with cartel-linked violence and state accountability.