Editorial: The “Historical Truth” Crumbles to Pieces

Something has failed in the calculations made by the government of President Enrique Peña-Nieto when international experts are called in to lend transparency to the investigation on the disappearance of 43 students and the result is exactly the opposite. Far from supporting the official version, the findings made by the specialists demolished once and again the “historical truth” promoted by Mexico’s District Attorney’s Office (PGR).

The final report published by the Interdisciplinary Group of International Experts (GIEI), of the OAS’s Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, talks about an operative performed within an 50-mile radius in which police officers from several municipalities participated in a coordinated manner. It also established that Mexico’s Federal Police and the Army – its 27th Battalion is stationed in Iguala – knew about the arrest of the students.

The GIEI’s inquiry was unable to decipher what became of the students. In their report, the Mexican authorities are blamed for obstructing the group’s work and preventing any interviews with members of the Army. What we do know is that the tragic events of the 24th of September have nothing to do with the official version, beginning with the alleged intentions of the students and ending with the burning of their bodies in the Cocula landfill.

There are plenty of irregularities in the investigation carried out by the PGR. One of the most striking is the finding of the remains of student Alexander Mora.

A day before the discovery, the PGR went to the site but failed to make a record of the visit. The next day, they invited the Argentine Group of Forensic Anthropology (EAAF) to the spot, implying that something may be going on there. The EAAF did not follow the lead, as they had already scheduled a different task for the day and because, as a rule, they do not follow recommendations during their inquiry. So, without any independent witnesses, the remains of the only student proved to be dead were found there.

Like other details, this shows that, by any means necessary, a narrative pieced together with information obtained through torture has been created instead of searching for the truth. As we have said before, the report and the exit of the GIEI from the process only paves the way to shelving the case. We hope that we are wrong, but all the signs of impunity and of Mexico’s judicial incompetence are present.