The arrest of retired judge Lambertina Galeana Marín, implicated in the 2014 disappearance of 43 students, raises hopes for closure amid a complicated investigation that has long entangled Mexican authorities and organized crime.
Arrest of Retired Judge Marks New Developments in 2014 Disappearance Case of 43 Mexican Students
Arrest of Retired Judge Marks New Developments in 2014 Disappearance Case of 43 Mexican Students
Lambertina Galeana Marín is accused of obstructing justice by tampering with vital evidence in a case that has haunted Mexico for nearly a decade.
In a significant development in the ongoing quest for justice regarding the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in Mexico, a retired judge has been arrested. Lambertina Galeana Marín, who served as the president of the Superior Tribunal of Justice in Guerrero, is accused of tampering with crucial evidence linked to the abduction. Her arrest took place in Chilpancingo, three years after a warrant had been issued for her capture.
The case of the missing students, who were attending a teacher training college in Ayotzinapa, has continued to loom over Mexican society for over a decade. Despite numerous investigations, the full story of their disappearance on the fateful night of September 26, 2014, remains unclear. To date, the remains of only three students have been identified, while the fate of the remaining 40 is still presumed to be fatal.
A truth commission's report released in 2022 revealed that local police cooperated with the crime syndicate Guerreros Unidos to forcibly disappear the students. They had traveled to Iguala to commandeer buses for a protest in Mexico City when they were confronted by law enforcement and gang members. The report also indicated that both the police and Guerreros Unidos had been informed about the students' plans and subsequently set up roadblocks.
Key to the case was the CCTV footage captured at the Palace of Justice, which allegedly recorded the events during one of the roadblocks. However, when investigators sought the footage nearly a year later, they discovered it had been "lost." Prosecutors now allege that Galeana ordered the destruction of this crucial evidence. According to Mexico's Security Ministry, she faces serious charges including forced disappearance, as families of the missing students continue their fight for justice and truth amidst a complicated web of corruption and violence.
