The father of one of the 43 Indigenous students whose unsolved disappearance continues to haunt Mexico wants the Canadian government to act swiftly on an extradition request for a former top law enforcement official now accused of involvement in the event’s cover up.
The father of one of the 43 Indigenous students whose unsolved disappearance continues to haunt Mexico wants the Canadian government to act swiftly on an extradition request for a former top law enforcement official now accused of involvement in the event’s cover up.
Mexican Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard said during a news conference Friday that Tomás Zerón, the country’s former head of criminal investigations, was in Canada.
Ebrard, responding to a question about a separate extradition case involving the U.S., said the Mexican government was seeking Zerón’s extradition for his role in allegedly covering up the disappearance of the students known as the Ayotzinapa 43, in reference to the hometown of their teachers’ college in southern Guerrero state.
“Now, we are initiating something similar in Canada with Tomas Zerón,” said Ebrard, during the news conference.
“There will be no impunity. Our role at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to guarantee that when there are cases of this nature, extradition occurs.”
Alejandro Encinas, the undersecretary for human rights, population and migration, said during a press conference on Monday that Mexican officials had met with Canadian officials through the Canadian embassy in Mexico to discuss Zerón’s case.
Encinas noted that though a Mexican judge had issued an arrest warrant in March, it carries no weight in Canada. However, he said Zerón is also wanted on an Interpol red notice, a request to law enforcement worldwide to arrest international fugitives.
“Once he’s found in Canada … with an Interpol [red notice] he can’t leave the country,” Encinas said at the press conference.
“We hope there is close co-operation with the government of Canada.”
Antonio Tizapa, whose son, Jorge Antonio Tizapa Legideño, 20, was one of the 43 students who vanished, said he wants the Canadian government to act immediately on Mexico’s request.
“For the Can