Virginia Garay Cárzares, coordinator of the Civil Association "Warriors in Search of Our Treasures," which groups families of missing persons, demands the definitive suspension of the sitting magistrate Rodrigo Benítez Pérez. In a statement, Garay Cárzares emphasized the necessity for the legal process against him to reach its ultimate consequences and stressed that his temporary separation from the position is not enough.
"It is not enough to temporarily separate him from the position, as he could return and serve until 2033; his dismissal must be definitive, according to the law and the severity of the crimes he is accused of," Garay Cárzares stated to Aristegui Noticias.
Garay Cárzares argued that the Congress of the State of Nayarit only suspended the magistrate while he remains under process, as established in decree PDP-CE 01/2024 issued by the XXXIV Legislature of Nayarit. This decree specifies that Benítez Pérez is "separated from his position while he is subject to criminal proceedings."
The coordinator of the association expressed her concern that the temporary removal is not definitive, suggesting the possibility that the magistrate could regain his position if the judicial process does not unfold transparently and impartially.
Regarding the accusations against Benítez Pérez, these include alleged violation of a subordinate, influence peddling in a property matter related to the attorney general of Nayarit, Petronilo Díaz Ponce Medrano, and destruction of key evidence in investigations into enforced disappearances. Additionally, he is accused of presenting himself on social media as a "political persecuted" and denouncing acts of corruption within the state government and the justice system.
Garay Cárzares stated that the judicial process against Benítez Pérez is not persecution but a necessary accountability measure to combat impunity in cases of serious crimes. She added that there is concern that the magistrate may seek political asylum in another country due to the sensitive information he possesses about state and national security.
The coordinator of the association compared this case to that of other former officials in Nayarit implicated in crimes, such as former prosecutor Edgar Veytia, former president magistrate of the Judiciary, Pedro Antonio Enríquez Soto, former deputy Carlos Saldate, and former governor Roberto Sandoval Castañeda, who has been facing federal charges since 2021.
Garay Cárzares, whose son has been missing since 2018, emphasized the importance for state and federal authorities to guarantee a fair legal process without political interference in this case, protecting those who have reported the facts.
