### Retired Judge Arrested in Connection with 2014 Disappearance of 43 Students in Mexico

### Lambertina Galeana Marín, once a prominent judicial figure, is now implicated in the unresolved disappearance of 43 students, shedding light on systemic issues within Mexican law enforcement and governance.

 

A retired judge in Mexico has been arrested for her alleged role in the tampering of evidence related to the disappearance of 43 students from the town of Iguala in 2014. Lambertina Galeana Marín, who served as the president of the Superior Tribunal of Justice in Guerrero, is accused of orchestrating the deletion of critical CCTV footage that investigators consider essential to unraveling the case. Her arrest comes just three years after a warrant was issued.

The case of the missing students has left an indelible mark on Mexican society, with families still seeking answers more than a decade later. Despite several investigations, knowledge of the events of the fateful night of September 26, 2014, remains murky. Although the remains of three students have been recovered, the fates of the other 40 are still unknown, and they are largely presumed dead. A 2022 report from a government-established truth commission indicated that the case was emblematic of state-sanctioned violence, implicating various authorities and police.

The report detailed how local police may have colluded with the criminal group Guerreros Unidos to abduct the students, all of whom were in Iguala to commandeer buses for an annual protest in Mexico City. Concerns emerged when the Guerreros Unidos suspected the students' actions might be linked to a rival gang, Los Rojos, prompting local law enforcement's intervention at a number of roadblocks.

The security cameras located outside the Palace of Justice were allegedly capturing the events but the footage never reached investigators; by the time an attempt was made to recover it nearly a year later, it had mysteriously vanished. Prosecutors now claim that Galeana was responsible for the order to destroy or erase this crucial evidence. Following her arrest, Mexico's security ministry has stated she will be charged with forced disappearance.

The families of the missing students have shown unwavering determination in their pursuit of justice, as the case continues to serve as a grim reminder of the broader issues of violence and corruption plaguing Mexico's institutions.