The Mexican Academy of Sciences (AMC), through its Human Rights Commission, expressed concern over the detention and subsequent provisional release of the former rector of the Autonomous University of Campeche (UACAM), José Alberto Abud Flores, which occurred on January 13 and 14, respectively, and for the effects these events had on the institutional life of the university. In a statement, the Commission noted that Abud Flores was intercepted by state police while traveling in an official university vehicle with two collaborators. In this regard, it indicated that public information about the operation is imprecise and lacks details, and that it “points to the non-compliance with the protocols required to guarantee the legality of the state police's actions.” The AMC highlighted that the detention occurred when Abud Flores was at the end of his term as rector, with the possibility of re-election. Hours later, during the early morning of January 14, a group of university counselors was convened to appoint Fanny Guillermo Maldonado as interim rector, a process that academics described as accelerated and contrary to internal regulations. Statement by academics More than 80 academics and researchers from different institutions in the country expressed their support for the former rector and demanded a judicial process with due process. In public statements, they warned that the detention and the replacement in the Rectorate occurred while Abud Flores was deprived of his liberty, which they considered a “fait accompli”. The case originated from the apprehension of the former rector for alleged possession of illicit substances, carried out in the capital of Campeche. The State Attorney General's Office of Campeche reported that the find would have been made during a vehicle inspection. However, the legal defense argued that the vehicle was transferred without waiting for on-site expert examinations, which cast doubt on the chain of custody. In parallel, university counselors denounced attempts at external intervention in the government of UACAM and emphasized that the institution has autonomy and the capacity for self-government. The National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education (ANUIES) also issued a statement to call on the authorities to act in accordance with the law. The AMC's Human Rights Commission concluded that the sequence of events “seriously risks the university autonomy that all public powers are obliged to respect,” and demanded respect for due process and constitutional guarantees.
