Mexico's 43 Disappeared Students

Mexico's 43 Disappeared Students

The Gist

This week, the New Yorker published a piece chronicling the disappearance (and probable death) of forty-three students in Iguala, Guerrero. The forty-three students, all in their late teens and early twenties, were training to be teachers and were heading to Mexico City. No one really knows why they were abducted. Reasons run the gamut: they angered the mayor of Iguala’s wife (pictured; her family runs the local drug gang), they were an example to other leftist groups to keep their mouths shut, etc. Whatever the reason, the disappearance has galvanized Mexico and sparked protests all over the country, leading the resignation of the governor (especially after it was realized the mayor and his wife had fled).The fact that peaceful protests have led to some sort of political change would be considered impossible twenty years ago. This upheaval comes at a time when the once murder capital of the world, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, has seen an economic resurgence. American companies Delphi and Honeywell, as well as various Chinese companies, have expanded their operations. The State Department has even downgraded their warning for the border city: you just have to be careful, rather than staying completely away. The optimistic view is that the Mexican people, finally fed up with their lackluster politicians, are slowly creating a more peaceful and robust Mexico….and now you know the gist.