Exclusive: Father of Missing Mexican Student Calls on Obama to Stop Drug War Aid
Exclusive: Father of Missing Mexican Student Calls on Obama to Stop Drug War Aid
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
In a Democracy Now! exclusive, we speak with the father and cousin of two of the 43 students missing from the Mexican state of Guerrero since late September. The Mexican authorities have declared the students dead, saying members of a local drug gang killed them and incinerated their bodies. But only one student’s remains have been identified, and journalists have pointed to the possible involvement of federal authorities.
As parents who have traveled from Mexico cross the United States in three protest caravans, we speak with two relatives of the missing students who live here in New York City: Antonio Tizapa is the father of Jorge Antonio Tizapa Legideño; and Amado Tlatempa is the cousin of Jesús Jovany Rodríguez Tlatempa. Tizapa, who believes his son is still alive, calls on the Obama administration to stop the Mérida Initiative, the multibillion-dollar U.S. aid program used to fund the war on drugs in Mexico.
AMY GOODMAN: Here in New York, relatives of two of the 43 students missing from the Mexican state of Guerrero for over six months participated in a 10-kilometer run Saturday to protest the ongoing disappearance of their loved ones. The Mexican government says the students were killed by gang members, but the families questioned that account and believe they’re alive. Antonio Tizapa, the father of the missing student, wore a T-shirt which read, "My son is your son, and your son is my son."
ANTONIO TIZAPA: (translated) That way, we can show our government, the Mexican government, that wherever there’s a Mexican, there is a lot of support. As you can see, there are several fellow Mexicans here expressing their support for the cause of the Ayotzinapa 43 and making it clear to the government that it is not a closed case, as they would like it to be.
More:
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2015/4/8/exclusive_father_of_missing_mexican_student