Ángel Aguirre, the former governor of Guerrero state in Mexico, has been formally charged in connection with the disappearance of 43 students in 2014. Mr Aguirre, who was arrested last week, faces accusations of forced disappearance and obstruction of justice.
The charges stem from allegations that Mr Aguirre ordered the destruction of surveillance tapes that may have provided information on what happened to the students from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college on 26 September 2014. On Wednesday, a judge ruled that Mexico’s attorney general had presented sufficient evidence to formally charge Mr Aguirre and ordered his detention in a maximum security prison while awaiting trial.
A lawyer for Mr Aguirre, Guillermo Baradas, has denied his client's wrongdoing. Mr Baradas stated that evidence was presented demonstrating Mr Aguirre attended a high-level meeting at the time the videos were reportedly handed over to him.
The indictment of Mr Aguirre marks a significant development in the Ayotzinapa case, which has become a symbol of cartel violence and government impunity in Mexico. The case has continued to affect the country more than a decade after the students' abduction, with the remains of only three students identified.