“It is difficult to trust again, but we will never stop knocking on doors”

Blanche Petrich

The newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, July 30, 2024, p. 4

First before President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and four hours later with the virtual president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, the group of mothers and fathers of the 43 missing people from the Raúl Isidro Burgos teacher training college, now divided into two groups, opened their hearts again, to speak of their pain and the excruciating need to know the whereabouts of their children, of the expectations that were not met in this six-year term and of the steps and advances they demand from the new government that begins in 62 days to reach the truth of the Ayotzinapa case.

The future president waited almost an hour and a half at the Mexico City Museum for the relatives of the 43 to arrive. They arrived late, sweaty and agitated after walking from the National Palace through the crowd of passersby, merchants and journalists to the building on Pino Suárez Street. She was waiting for them at the threshold of the old palace gate to shake hands with each one.

In the colonial courtyard, tables and white chairs had been arranged in a large quadrangle. Sheinbaum was accompanied by her future Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, and by her personal secretary, Carlos Augusto Morales, who moderated the meeting. I want to establish a direct relationship with all of you.were her opening remarks. On behalf of the families, Hilda Leguideño, Hilda Hernández and Joaquina García spoke first. They demanded that the investigation be a priority in her mandate. There was an intense need to express to the next president their feelings, their frustration that almost 10 years after the night in Iguala they still do not know the fate of their children. And they complained that she had not included the Ayotzinapa case in the first 100 points of her government plan. The virtual president-elect explained that she did not do so out of respect for President López Obrador, who continues to lead the investigation. She reiterated that since the events of September 26, 2014, she has been with the families’ cause, that she knows all the public information about what has been done and that starting on October 1, already in charge, she would analyze together with all the relatives the best method to move forward and reach the truth.

And when citing all According to the family, an issue that has caused strong friction has been settled. It is about the division that arose following a rally organized two years ago in Iguala, called by the group’s former spokesman Felipe de la Cruz, in which the release of the former municipal president Abarca was requested. This group was expelled from the collective that until then had managed to maintain an exemplary cohesion.

Recently, the new Undersecretary of the Interior, Arturo Medina, incorporated this group into meetings with the President.

Yesterday, however, before the meeting with the virtual president-elect ended, three other mothers from the dissident group also spoke and were listened to with respect, a sign that the discord may continue, but everyone recognizes that the essential thing is to go deeper and continue the investigation until the Ayotzinapa boys are found.

After the meeting at the Museum, Sheinbaum stood by the door again to shake hands with each person. Some parents, distracted, had not gone to the door but to the tables where they were offered refreshments. The future president then walked over to say goodbye. And, according to the impression of someone who was present, she “clicked,” especially with the mothers.

A summary of this meeting, which already has one foot in the future, were the words of Mrs. Hilda Leguideño: It is difficult for us to trust the authorities again after everything we have been through these years, but we have to keep knocking on doors. We will never stop fighting for our children..