Police in Mexico have made a significant arrest in the search for justice surrounding the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from the town of Ayotzinapa. Lambertina Galeana Marín, a retired judge and former president of Guerrero's Superior Tribunal of Justice, was taken into custody for allegedly orchestrating the destruction of crucial CCTV footage that investigators believe could shed light on the case. At 79 years old, Galeana's arrest comes a staggering three years after a warrant was first issued for her apprehension.
The still unsolved case has haunted the nation, with families of the missing students relentlessly pursuing accountability. The students vanished during a protest on September 26, 2014, when they sought to commandeer buses for a demonstration in Mexico City. Official investigations allege that local police collaborated with members of the criminal organization Guerreros Unidos in their forced disappearance, as suspicions arose that the group believed rival gang members were infiltrating the student group.
According to a 2022 report by a dedicated truth commission, the case was largely characterized as a state-sanctioned crime involving federal and state authorities. Eyewitness accounts revealed that the police setup multiple roadblocks to trap the students, raising grave concerns about the collusion between law enforcement and organized crime.
Documents submitted to the commission stated that key footage captured by security cameras at the Palace of Justice during the events was never submitted to investigators. Instead, it was reported missing, with claims of it being destroyed or deleted under Galeana’s directive. In light of these revelations, the Mexican Ministry of Security announced charges of forced disappearance against Galeana, marking a crucial moment in the long battle for justice that families of the victims continue to wage.
