Zerón implicates Peña Nieto in Ayotzinapa "historical truth"
Aug. 27, 2024
Tomás Zerón, former head of investigations for Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, said the official story about the 2014 disappearance of 43 students was made up by the highest ranking authorities in the government during meetings presided over by then-President Enrique Peña Nieto. Through a freedom of information request, the independent journalism collective Fabrica de Periodismo obtained Zerón’s answers to a questionnaire sent to him in 2022 by Mexico’s top human rights official at the time, Alejandro Encinas.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said his predecesor, Enrique Peña Nieto should be called to testify about his role in creating the false narrative. (Animal Político)
Zerón is living in Israel, beyond the reach of Mexican law enforcement. The version he refers to is known as the “historic truth,” and contended the Ayotzinapa students were turned over by local police to a drug gang that killed them, incinerated their bodies in a dump, and tossed the remains into a river, reports the Associated Press.
Investigators who later took over the case, one of the most emblematic of human rights violations in the country, accused Zerón of creating a false narrative, based on confessions extracted by torture, in order to close the case as quickly as possible and avoid political fall out, reports El País.
In his testimony, previously unreported, Zerón rejects personal responsibility and positions himself as a mere “spokesman.” (Aristegui Noticias)
More Mexico
López Obrador’s judicial reform plan passed a key congressional committee yesterday. The lower chamber of Mexico’s congress, where the ruling Morena coalition will have a super majority when the new term starts Sunday, is expected to start debating the controversial proposal next week. The reform would require that all federal judges in Mexico, including members of the Supreme Court, are elected by popular vote, reports Bloomberg. (See yesterday’s post.)
In response to criticism from the U.S. ambassador to Mexico and U.S. trade groups, López Obrador and president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum defended the reform and Mexico’s sovereignty. (Reuters)
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Venezuela
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Regional Relations
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Critter Corner
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