Ten years after Ayotzinapa, IACHR marks a decade of struggle for justice in Mexico

September 26, 2024

Washington, D.C. — Ten years after the enforced disappearance of the 43 children from the Isidro Burgos Rural Teacher Training School in Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has reaffirmed its commitment to the victims' families in their pursuit of truth and justice. The IACHR calls on Mexican authorities and society to work together to shed light on the fate or whereabouts of these students and hold those responsible to account.

On October 3, 2014, mere days after the students went missing, the IACHR issued Precautionary Measure 409/14, which remains in force. Through it, the IACHR called on the Mexican State to provide information on the situation or whereabouts of the 43 students and assist those who survived the event. The precautionary measure marked the beginning of the IACHR's involvement in the case as it sought to help search for the missing students, clarify the facts, and identify and prosecute the perpetrators.

Over the past decade, acting under the authority of the American Convention on Human Rights and through agreements with the Mexican Government and the students' families, the IACHR implemented a mechanism known as the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) on two occasions, before establishing the Special Follow-Up Mechanism for the Ayotzinapa Case (MESA) to ensure compliance with the precautionary measure and the recommendations made by the GIEI and the IACHR itself.

The GIEI has worked in collaboration with the Mexican authorities and has been instrumental in redirecting the investigation, uncovering flaws, and debunking the official narrative regarding the students' disappearance. Through its work, the students' family and the world at large discovered that the so-called "historical truth" was a fabrication and that state agents knew of the attacks and the students' disappearance from the very beginning. Recent GIEI investigations have also pointed to the possible involvement of state agents in these crimes.

The State, under the current administration, promoted the search for the students, access to truth and justice, and punishment of those responsible through the Commission for Truth and Access to Justice in the Ayotzinapa Case (COVAJ) and the Specialized Unit for the Ayotzinapa Case of the Attorney General's Office (UEILCA). This led to the discovery of new forensic evidence, which resulted in the identification of bone fragments from two students. Additionally, new investigation files were opened regarding the dynamics of the disappearance and the investigative acts orchestrated to conceal the truth.

However, despite this progress, the IACHR is concerned by the current stagnation of the investigation and recent institutional setbacks. A series of obstacles remain, such as the withholding of information by security companies, as identified by the GIEI in its latest report, and the persistence of a "pact of silence" that has prevented the perpetrators and those involved in the cover-up from being identified.

In this context, the Commission acknowledges that the incoming administration has announced its commitment to solve this emblematic case. To overcome the challenges in the investigation, it is crucial to maintain authentic and transparent dialogue between all the actors involved, including the families of the disappeared and their legal representatives, and to strengthen trust between the families and the authorities by placing the victims at the center of attention.

The IACHR will continue to closely monitor the implementation of the precautionary measure while remaining committed to providing technical assistance to the Mexican authorities. It will also continue to stand by the families throughout their struggle for truth and justice.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mandate is based on the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly. They serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence. 

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