Former Guerrero governor Angel Aguirre has been arrested over allegations that he ordered the destruction of key evidence linked to the disappearance of 43 students in one of Mexico’s most notorious human rights cases.
Mexico’s Attorney General Ernestina Godoy announced that Aguirre was arrested on charges of obstruction of justice and enforced disappearance. Aguirre has previously denied any wrongdoing.
The 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College disappeared in September 2014 while travelling to a protest in Mexico City. International investigations concluded they were killed by organised crime groups working alongside corrupt police officers.
To date, only the remains of three students have been positively identified, while the other 40 are still missing.
According to Godoy, new testimony from two witnesses, including one under witness protection, suggested Aguirre ordered the destruction of evidence during a meeting with senior officials in his administration. Authorities did not disclose when the meeting took place or what evidence was allegedly destroyed.
Godoy said investigators now believe the destroyed evidence could have helped reveal what happened to the missing students.
She also revealed that state authorities had previously claimed security camera footage showing the students travelling by bus near government offices did not exist. However, a witness who had remained silent for years due to threats came forward this year with new information.
Angela Buitrago, a member of the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts investigating the case, said her team had already opened an investigation into Aguirre’s possible involvement in 2015.
She said the latest evidence reinforces the conclusion that the disappearance was a “state crime,” adding that if the alleged surveillance footage had been preserved, it could have played a crucial role in locating the students.
The case remains one of Mexico’s darkest unresolved tragedies and continues to raise questions over government accountability and alleged attempts to cover up the truth.
