The Google search for "Teuchitlán extermination" reached almost 1.3 million queries as of yesterday. The consternation over what happened at the Teuchitlán ranch has reached the National Palace, and President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly mentioned the tragedy experienced there.
Sheinbaum's and Alejandro Gertz Manero's statements point to the government of Alfaro and the municipal government of Teuchitlán as possible culprits of omission, negligence, cover-up, or complicity in the terrible events. In August of that same year, an official resigned amid the tension and the clarification of how the issue of the disappeared was to be concealed.
The incident in Teuchitlán cannot be limited to this place only, as it could help understand the broader context of the situation in the country. Both current officials and former federal officials could shed light on what happened, the reasons, and possible culprits for hiding extermination camps and clandestine graves.
Sheinbaum has requested an investigation into what occurred at the Izaguirre ranch in Teuchitlán. However, reductionism should be avoided if a thorough understanding of the problem and prevention of similar situations in the future is truly sought. Teuchitlán has highlighted on a national level the tragedy that Mexico has been facing for years regarding disappearances.
The National Search Commission has recorded nearly 113,000 missing or unlocated people as of mid-this week, more than half during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The situation seems to have worsened during Sheinbaum's administration, according to a report from the organization Where Are the Missing?
In the specific case of Teuchitlán, authorities have revealed that since the intervention at the ranch last year, the Jalisco Attorney General's Office was guarding the site, which points to responsibilities within the local government authorities. Names of officials who might have relevant information about what occurred have been raised, and investigations will be necessary to clarify what happened.
