Mexico arrests ex-governor over alleged destruction of evidence in 2014 student case

Former Guerrero state governor Angel Aguirre has been arrested on charges of obstruction of justice and forced disappearance, authorities announced Thursday. The arrest is linked to the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College, a case considered one of Mexico's worst human rights atrocities.

Attorney General Ernestina Godoy stated that new testimony from two individuals, including a protected witness, led to the conclusion that Aguirre may have ordered the destruction of evidence. This evidence could have shed light on the students' whereabouts on the night they vanished. Godoy indicated that state authorities had previously claimed critical security camera footage did not exist.

The case has been marked by missteps and interference since the students disappeared. International investigations determined that organized crime members, in collusion with police, were responsible for the students' deaths. While the remains of three victims have been identified, the whereabouts of the others remain unknown. An independent international rights team had begun investigating Aguirre's potential involvement in 2015, suggesting that earlier access to the destroyed footage could have significantly aided the investigation.

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An analysis, based on new evidence and in accordance with due process, confirmed the possible involvement of Angel 'N,' former governor of Guerrero, in the destruction of evidence that could have revealed the students' whereabouts.