Relatives of missing persons, with help of autodefensas, search and find 11 fosas in Iguala

Borderland Beat material from API/OEM

People who have loved ones who have disappeared in the northern part of Guerrero,  have taken it upon themselves to conduct searches for human remains in the Iguala area.   

Whereas much attention has been devoted to the 43 missing students, there has been little concern for the bodies discovered that have been proven not to be the remains of the students, nor has the government addressed the need for an organized effort to search the entire area for remains. 
 

Families discovered human remains within the excavated zone and other evidence of violence and organized crime operation in the area

Iguala, Gro.- Relatives of missing persons in the northern region of the state of Guerrero discovered six new mass graves containing human remains in the vicinity of Cerro Gordo, in Iguala.
 

Without the presence of representatives of the federal or state government, relatives of people who have disappeared in the northern region of Guerrero undertook the search for mass graves in the Iguala area.  

Searching  on Sunday, relatives found skeletal remains in fosas of persons  allegedly killed by organized crime groups in the area known as La Laguna, heading toward Cerro Gordo and two kilometers from the hill above the Cerro near colonia Loma del Zapatero (Iguala).

70 plus people, including relatives and friends of people who have disappeared between the years 2008-2014 were concentrated in the Iguala region.. From there they began a caravan to go to the place called La Laguna, located northwest of Iguala.

The site was discovered more than a year ago by a farmer who occasionally  passes by. The elderly man and reported that in April last year, he was walking through the area and noticed that at certain points the earth was "loose". On one occasion when walking about the area, when he stepped his foot sank into the earth, and, he said a foul odor then emitted from the ground.

After the discovery, the man reported the information to  authorities but that authorities to this day had not proceeded with and investigation or inspection.

The disappearance of the 43 normalistas of Ayotzinpa occurred during the night of 26 and morning of September 27 in Iguala, the search began for the students resulting in the discovery of clandestine graves, but later it was determined the remains were not of the students.

So far the families have accounted for 11 graves in the same area; same where human remains were found.  One complete body bound at feet and hands was found, while the other 10 fosas contained bones, bloody clothes and sheets.

The discovery of clandestine graves by the Union of Peoples and Organizations of the State of Guerrero (UPOEG), (autodefensas above foto) motivated relatives of missing persons from the north of Guerrero, to know the identity and number of remains found, to  rule out or confirm that correspond to their relatives.  Authorities have not addressed the demands.

In the course of  the search, relatives of the disappeared were advised and coordinated by leaders of the Union of Peoples and Organizations of the State of Guerrero (UPOEG)  and Forensic Science Citizen (CFC). Also participating in the search are Iguala citizens.