WILPF WITH AYOTZINAPA. 43 ARE MISSING, "ALIVE WERE TAKEN, ALIVE WE DEMAND THEM BACK."
By Adilia Caravaca
Nov 25, 2014: Under the slogan "Alive they were taken, alive we demand them back", parents, family members, class mates of the students from the AYOTZINAPA School for Teachers, that disappeared on September 26th, demonstrate, “Vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos de vuelta”, and continue to demand a thorough investigation and accountability. Their claim is supported by growing numbers in Mexico and around the world. Huge demonstrations in cities of Mexico and other cities around the world: New York, London, and Paris have also joined.
On September 26th evening and early hours of the 27th, 43 students who were demonstrating in Iguala, Guerrero State of Mexico, for improvements in their Schools disappeared, and 6 others appeared murdered. They all come from the “Normal” of Ayotzinapa, the educational centre where they are trained to become rural teachers. Many of them come from very deprived communities and are committed to serve and guarantee public education in those areas. Their closeness with the socio economic conditions in their rural towns, places them in leadership positions to organize and expose the existing inequities in Mexico.
This brutal repression has been defined by author Imanol Ordorika, as a State Crime, which implies one of those perfect crimes, perpetrated from a position of power. He and other analysts stress that this has been the largest crime against students since the impunity of Tlatelolco massacre 46 years ago, which still remains unresolved. The students were arrested by Municipality police and then kidnaped by a paramilitary group linked to drug bands. This could not have happened without the complicity of the Police and other Guerrero State authorities, hours, days passed with total inaction by the authorities, who totally failed to stop the assassinations of six students and the kidnappings. 43 students remain missing.
The students and other social movements are mobilising, they have turned a high ranking officer's reaction to their protest who said “Ya me cansé”; to their own slogans “Ya me canse del miedo” (“I am tired of being afraid”) “Ya me cansé de la impunidad”, (I am tired of Impunity), “ Ya me cansé de la corrupción”. (I am tired of corruption”).
The call for justice and significant changes continues. WILPF in Mexico has joined the mobilisations of solidarity. WILPF supports the families and the people of Mexico´s hopes for justice and for the needed changes of the security, peace and justice of its citizens.