Protest in northwest Fresno aims to shed light on students ‘kidnapped’ by the Mexican police

About two dozen people gathered in front of the Mexican Consulate in northwest Fresno on Friday to protest the Mexican government’s arrest of 43 students that protesters say are “political prisoners.”

“Mexico is a state that is failed — it’s a failed state — from the top to the bottom, and there’s people picking up arms,” said Juan Avitia, state national president of the Mexican-American Political Association. “They, like us, have a right to self-defense, but in Mexico you have people who are political prisoners simply because they picked up arms and defended themselves against the cartels.”

Avitia said that the 43 students being held can’t be found, and that they believe the Mexican government is complicit with the cartels in their disappearance. He said the proof of corruption is illustrated in the recent prison escape of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

“A lot of people have been arrested for speaking out against the government; 43 students last September were kidnapped at the hands of the police who were turned over to the cartel, Avitia said. “This was done at the behest of the governor of Mexico. Unfortunately these students have not been found…this is obviously corruption from the top down.”

He continued, “When you look at Chapo Guzmán who escapes from the maximum security prison in Mexico — the toughest prison — and yet that’s supposed to be the toughest security, that tells you that there is corruption.”

Avitia said that in this fast-paced social media world, protesters must continuously speak out or else the issue will become “old news.” He said they plan to press the issue by holding protests once a month.

Officials at the consulate could not be reached for comment Friday.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Protest in northwest Fresno aims to shed light on students ‘kidnapped’ by the Mexican police."