Retired Mexican Judge Arrested Over 2014 Disappearance of 43 Students

Mexican authorities have arrested retired judge Lambertina Galeana Marín in connection with the 2014 disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College, a case symbolizing government corruption and impunity in Mexico. Galeana, who was president of Guerrero’s Superior Tribunal of Justice at the time, is accused of ordering the destruction of security footage that could have revealed the events at a police roadblock where the students were last seen. The 2022 Truth and Access to Justice Commission concluded the students' disappearance was a state-sponsored crime involving local police, the military, and the Guerreros Unidos criminal cartel, marking the first official recognition of the military's role. Despite arrests of some suspects, including former local officials and gang members, the full details and motivations remain unclear, and only three of the students’ remains have been identified. The case remains a stark example of collusion between criminal groups and government authorities, with ongoing demands from families for justice amid widespread impunity. Galeana now faces charges of forced disappearance and destruction of evidence related to this high-profile human rights atrocity.