Ex-Investigator Reveals 'Historic Truth' in 2014 Mexican Students' Disappearance Fabricated

A former investigation head revealed that the 'historic truth' about the 2014 disappearance of 43 students was concocted by high-ranking officials, including then-President Enrique Peña Nieto. Fugitive Tomás Zerón disclosed the involvement of top security officials in fabricating the official story, now debunked by independent investigations.

A former head of investigations for Mexico's Attorney General's Office has disclosed that the 'historic truth' presented to the public regarding the 2014 disappearance of 43 students was fabricated by the highest authorities in the government, including then-President Enrique Peña Nieto. This revelation was reported by a Mexican news outlet on Monday.

Tomás Zerón, currently a fugitive in Israel, told investigators that the president and top security officials were present during meetings where the false narrative was concocted. The independent journalism collective Fabrica de Periodismo detailed Zerón's responses to a 2022 questionnaire from Mexico's top human rights official at the time, Alejandro Encinas, obtained through a freedom of information request.

The initial official version claimed that local police handed the students over to a drug gang, who killed them, incinerated their bodies, and disposed of the remains in a river. Subsequent investigations have debunked this account, indicating involvement from corrupt police and military officials. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has called for Zerón to turn himself in, urging him to assist in the ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from agencies.)