CNDH rejects ex-official's claims on Ayotzinapa case, defends its recommendation

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), led by Rosario Piedra, has refuted allegations made by a former official concerning its recommendation on the Ayotzinapa case. The CNDH asserted that its Recommendation 208VG/2026 was developed and published in strict adherence to its internal regulations and procedures.

The commission responded to statements by Alejandro Martínez, who previously headed a special unit established in October 2021 to handle complaints from the parents of the 43 disappeared students. The CNDH clarified that the recommendation regarding the 2014 Iguala case is a formal resolution, not a report open for public debate, and was issued in compliance with its internal rules governing investigations, notifications, and publications.

Martínez had claimed that the CNDH concealed work related to rural teacher training colleges, engaged in workplace harassment, and that the special unit for the Ayotzinapa case was dismantled due to pressure from the then-Secretariat of National Defense. He also alleged that Recommendation 208VG/2026 lacked technical rigor and served interests contrary to those of the victims.

The CNDH rejected these claims, stating that Martínez's departure from the institution was due to a complaint filed in February 2022 by members of the Student Representatives Council of the UNAM Faculty of Higher Studies Cuautitlán. They accused him of misusing his position for political-student matters. The commission also clarified that the Ayotzinapa case unit was not dismantled but reassigned to the Second General Visitadoria, where it continued its work until September 2023 before being transferred to a specialized office for investigating state repression and forced disappearances.