IACHR Concludes Working Visit to Mexico Regarding the Special Follow-Up Mechanism on the Ayotzinapa Case

September 16, 2021

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Mexico City — On September 6 and 7, 2021, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a visit to Mexico to agree on the action plan for the Special Follow-Up Mechanism on the Ayotzinapa Case (MESA) and the technical assistance that will be provided by the team that is currently deployed within Mexican territory.

The IACHR delegation was led by Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño, Rapporteur for Mexico and the coordinator of the MESA, and also included Tania Reneaum Panszi, the Executive Secretary of the IACHR; Maria Claudia Pulido, the Assistant Executive Secretary; and the IACHR technical team. During the visit, the delegation met with high-ranking state authorities that included Alejandro Encinas, Undersecretary for Human Rights at the Ministry of the Interior, Population, and Migration and President of the Presidential Commission for Truth and Access to Justice in the Ayotzinapa Case (CoVAJ), and Martha Delgado, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The delegation also met with Omar Gómez, head of the Special Investigation and Litigation Unit for the Ayotzinapa Case; Cristopher Ballinas, Director of the Human Rights and Democracy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Sara Irene Herrerías, head of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Human Rights.

The delegation held meetings with representatives of the victims' families and with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. It also visited the offices of the Special Investigation and Litigation Unit for the Ayotzinapa Case and met with its team.

The IACHR highlighted Mexico's political will and international openness around clarifying and settling the Ayotzinapa case. As a result of this willingness, the State will continue to provide support and technical assistance for MESA within Mexican Territory. To this end, the parties agreed on the main areas of this assistance and support for the next six months as regards the investigation, the search for victims and provision of assistance to them, and structural measures to prevent these events from being repeated.

The IACHR took note of the State's request that the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) continue to assist with the investigation. The representatives of the victims' families once again noted the importance of international support in monitoring compliance with precautionary measure 409/14. Finally, it was agreed that Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño, the Rapporteur for Mexico, would carry out another official visit toward the end of September.

The IACHR stated that it would continue to monitor the Ayotzinapa case closely and once again stressed its commitment to the mothers and fathers of the 43 missing students.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 241/21

3:45 PM