The rector of the Autonomous University of Campeche (UAC), José Alberto Abud Flores, was arrested on Monday morning by elements of the Secretariat of Citizen Protection and Security (SPSC), on charges related to the alleged possession of illicit substances. According to the data recorded in the National Detention Register (RND), the arrest was carried out at 9:30 a.m. on Avenida López Mateos, in the Prado neighborhood of the state capital. After the apprehension warrant was executed, the university official was transferred to the facilities of the Campeche State Attorney General's Office. «The detention was due to the fact that after a search, several staples with a white powder, apparently cocaine, were found in his SUV,» said the state's Attorney General, Jackson Villacís Rosado, to the media La Barra Noticias. The official is now at the disposal of the Public Ministry, where the corresponding process has been initiated for the probable commission of crimes against health. In response to the events, the university counselors denounced that, after Abud Flores' arrest, attempts by external actors to intervene in the government of the institution have been detected. «With great concern, we observe that hours after this event, personnel outside this institution has attempted to summon this Council to a session with the apparent purpose of dismissing the head of the Rectorate, in a venue alternative to this University,» stated the student and faculty representation. The university community described this procedure as an «inadmissible intrusion» into the internal life of the institution, emphasizing that UAC has full capacity for self-government based on its Organic Law. They also demanded the immediate release of Rector Abud Flores. In turn, the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) issued an official statement expressing its concern about the clarity of the procedures carried out. The organization called on the authorities of Campeche to ensure that the process is not influenced by factors external to the administration of justice. «ANUIES demands that the competent authorities act with strict adherence to legality and due process, at all times respecting university autonomy and human rights».
