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Ayotzinapa: an open wound

5 years after the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa students, the investigation will start from scratch

People walk near painting " Ayotzinapa" in honor of 43 mexican missing students in Ayotzinapa, Mexico, for the 12th Havana Biennial, Havana - Photo: Enrique de la Osa/REUTERS
26/09/2019 |08:26
Redacción El Universal
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In Mexico , the inefficient administration of justice is represented by the Ayotzinapa case . The irregularities found in the case are the faithful reflection of what happens in the majority of crimes perpetrated in the country.

Five years after the enforced disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa students , the investigation will start from scratch as a result of all the irregularities in the process.

Information released by the Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez Human Rights Center, published by EL UNIVERSAL on Wednesday, reveals that there were at least 158 irregularities in the arrest of 83 suspects . Illegal detentions for false flagrancy was the most common anomaly, followed by torture , isolation , and the deprivation of the right of defense .

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Besides the irregularities , the previous administration ignored other clues that could have helped to clear the case, as well as the decision to not hold police officers and the government accountable for their involvement in the crime .

The victims' parents have criticized the falsehoods spread by the Peña Nieto administration , and are demanding the current administration to speed the investigations . They are also demanding that the findings made by the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts be taken into account; their report questioned the official investigation carried out by the previous government.

As time goes by, the number of u nanswered questions i ncreases and the hope of finding the 43 missing students dies down. Evidence suggests that four communities could have been the final destination of the 43 students : Huitzuco, Mezcala, Carrizalillo, and Tepecoacuilco . Furthermore, there are 11 lines of investigation, which will require the collaboration of experts and will take a long time to investigate.

The Ayotzinapa case portrays Mexico's reality : the deficient investigation processes. The country hasn't been able to create police agencies with the minimum capacity to solve cases like this, despite the fact that this was one of the main goals of the legal system implemented in 2016.

This case attracted national and international attention, nevertheless, this wasn't enough to force the previous administration to enforce the law and deliver justice , so it is possible to expect the same behavior in other cases that have received less attention.

As experts have said: you can't solve a crime by perpetrating another crime. While the situation doesn't change, justice administration in Mexico will be slow, deficient , and corrupt .

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