Mexican Attorney General to Reopen Ayotzinapa Investigation

The Mexican attorney general's office announced Thursday it will resume its investigation into the enforced disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college.

​Federal Attorney General Arely Gomez Gonzalez met with relatives of the missing students for the first time in nearly four months. Relatives had previously broken off talks with the government due to frustrations over the course of the investigation.

The attorney general's office had declared the case closed in December, having determined that the missing students were killed and their bodies burned, after they were turned over to an organized crime group by municipal police.

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However, the relatives of the forcibly disappeared students never agreed with the government's conclusions and have alleged the government is engaging in a cover-up.

The attorney general's office agreed to pursue new lines of investigation, although Gomez did not specify what leads they would pursue.

At the behest of the relatives, the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts, known as the GIEI, also participated in the meeting. The GIEI said that the meeting was “fruitful” and “an important step to more the investigation forward and improve the relationship with family.”

In a statement posted online the attorney general's office said it would work to maintain regular contact with relatives of the missing students in an effort to improve relations between them and the government.

Earlier this year Arely Gomez Gonzalez replaced Jesus Murillo Karam, who was shuffled out of the post after widespread criticism of his handling of the Ayotzinapa case.