An Overdue Mexican Call for Help into the Disappearance of 43 Students

Mexico's request for help from the United States(US) into the investigation of 43 disappeared Mexican students last September should be easily and readily obligated by President Barack Obama's Administration. But the call from Mexico City to Washington, DC , had been long overdue before the telephone rang earlier this week. Federal Bureau of Investigations(FBI) investigators and scientists will now look into identifying charred remains believed to be that of the students found in Mexico.

Despite being late, Mexico's call to Washington which comes amid new allegations that Mexico's federal authorities might have had some information about the students before they went missing, is warranted. 

Last September 26, 43 college students went missing in Guerrero state, Mexico. It is believed that local police in the city of Iguala, acting upon directions from local mayor Jose Luis Abarca, handed the students over to the Guerreros Unidos drug gang, who killed and desecrated the remains on a fiery garbage dump in Guerrero state. The remains of one of the 43 students has been positively identified. The mayor of Iguala, his wife, dozens of local police and at least three gang members have been arrested in connection with the students. Protests of Mexico's handling of the case have raged across the country.

International concern over Mexico's handling of the case has brought condemnation and scrutiny over the state of safety and security in Mexico, where thousands of people have died or disappeared, in gangland violence since 2007. 

Uruguay's President Jose Mujica questioned whether or not Mexico appeared as a failing state based upon the abductions and the deaths and the government's handling of the case. And on December 22, 2014, writing on this Blog, The World in 2015 - Canada and Mexico, I suggested:"That a system of corruption could exist in Mexico that facilitates the kidnapping of 43 students by police and their apparent horrific deaths and fiery disposal of their remains, underscores the decadent state of safety and security in Mexico." I also opined: "Mexico will not admit, but the nation needs greater western assistance in 2015 to tackle the deeply rooted sources of violence and corruption associated with the drug trade."

Now that Mexico has made the formal call for assistance, maybe some closure could soon come to the families of the 43 students. Moreover, with regards to Mexico's long-term safety and security, President Enrique Pena Nieto will have the opportunity to seek further US assistance when he meets with US President Barack Obama in Washington, DC, next week.