Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Mexico president sidesteps calls to probe predecessor over missing students

Mexico president sidesteps calls to probe predecessor over missing students

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday deflected calls to investigate his predecessor over the 2014 disappearance of 43 student teachers, after officials arrested a top official in the prior administration over the crime.
Mexican officials on Friday arrested Jesus Murillo, the former attorney general of ex-president Enrique Pena Nieto, on charges of forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice linked to the probe into what became of the students.

The abduction and disappearance of the 43 on Sept. 26, 2014 battered Pena Nieto's legacy, and his government's account of what happened to the youths was later pilloried by a panel of international experts who reviewed it, known as the GIEI.

Following Murillo's arrest, Lopez Obrador was asked whether Pena Nieto should also be held to account. He noted that Murillo and his team were responsible for the investigation, and pointed to a new government report published about the case.

"The report does not request an investigation be opened or an arrest warrant be requested against Pena Nieto, but against others," Lopez Obrador told a news conference, adding that future decisions were in the hands of judges handling the case.

Lopez Obrador took office in late 2018 vowing to clear up the crime after the GIEI said the original official account of what happened was riddled with errors and abuses, including the torture of witnesses.

The remains of only a few of the students, who were abducted in the southwestern city of Iguala, have been definitively identified. Murillo's investigation concluded that a local drug gang working with corrupt police killed the students after mistaking them for members of a rival outfit.

Mexico's top human rights official called the disappearances a "state crime" involving local, state and federal officials.

On Monday, the GIEI said the investigation was still incomplete and urged the government to reveal the evidence used in its new report so it could assess the findings.

Lopez Obrador's government has also been trying to arrest Tomas Zeron, who led the agency that headed Murillo's probe, including asking Israel last year to extradite him.

The incumbent Mexican attorney general's office has announced over 80 arrest orders for soldiers, police, state officials and gang members in relation to the case.

"If the judges or prosecutors determine others were involved, they will make their decisions with absolute freedom," Lopez Obrador said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×