© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Mexican President Says He's 'Indignant' Over Case Of Missing Students

Relatives of students reported missing after a violent confrontation in Iguala with police, pass the time near a makeshift altar as they wait for news of their loved ones at the Isidro Burgos rural teachers college in Ayotzinapa, Mexico.
Eduardo Verdugo
/
AP
Relatives of students reported missing after a violent confrontation in Iguala with police, pass the time near a makeshift altar as they wait for news of their loved ones at the Isidro Burgos rural teachers college in Ayotzinapa, Mexico.

In an address to his nation on Monday, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto vowed to prosecute those responsible for the disappearance of 43 students in the state of Guerrero.

As we reported, over the weekend, authorities in Iguala found mass graves that they believe probably contain the bodies of some of the students, who were last seen being apprehended by police.

"The same as the Mexican people, I am profoundly indignant and dismayed about the information that's emerged this weekend," Peña Nieto said, according to El Universal.

Indeed, the information so far has been stunning:

-- El Proceso reports that 28 bodies have been recovered from the mass graves. Nine of them were charred. Authorities are still trying to complete the process of identifying the corpses.

-- Animal Politico reports that Guerrero State Attorney General Iñaky Blanco said during a press conference that police officers turned over 17 college students to a cartel called Guerreros Unidos. Blanco said members of that group confessed to executing the students.

As we've reported, this case has brought to light just how cozy some Mexican security forces are with organized crime. According to Animal Politico, Blanco said that 30 municipal police officers were arrested because they were members of the cartel.

"With reason, the family members of the students demand clarity, justice, that we find those responsible for these acts, and that there be no room for impunity," Peña Nieto said.

The president said federal authorities will join local authorities in investigating the case.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.