Ayotzinapa protesters knock down National Palace door, student killed in Guerrero, Women's Day march, US-Mexico trade

Week of 03/03/2024 - 03/09/2024

Ayotzinapa protesters knock down the door of the National Palace

On Wednesday (03/06) morning, a group of protesters approached the National Palace in Mexico City and used a pickup truck that was parked nearby as a battering ram to knock down the doors of the Palace, as well as breaking windows and throwing rocks into the building. When they broke down the door, President López Obrador was inside, giving his morning press conference, but the military police dispersed the protesters using tear gas before they could enter the building. 

The group was marching to call for more action, especially from President López Obrador, to resolve the Ayotzinapa case, in which 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School went missing in 2014. One of López Obrador’s campaign promises in 2018 was to find what happened to the missing students, and he has time and again expressed his commitment to doing so, but his administration is drawing to a close, and the case has not yet been resolved. 

After Wednesday’s incident, President López Obrador reiterated his desire to meet and to work with the parents of the disappeared students, but recently, the dialogue between the government and the Ayotzinapa parents has not been successful. This breakdown in dialogue is what has led to the increase in protests and marches to put pressure on the government to discover what happened to the missing students. 

Student killed in conflict with state police in Guerrero

Late Thursday night (03/07), one student was killed and another arrested in a confrontation at a traffic checkpoint with the state police in Guerrero. According to the state police, they had received reports about a stolen vehicle, and when a pickup truck that matched the description approached the traffic checkpoint, the police signaled for the vehicle to stop but were met with gunfire and returned fire, which killed the student. 

Notably, the state police mentioned in their statement that they were willing to clarify the details of the situation, and that the confrontation was not related to “any institution, school, or social movement.” The student that was killed attended the Ayotzinapa Rural Normal School, the same institution attended by the 43 students that went missing in 2014 in the still-unresolved Ayotzinapa Case. 

Fellow students issued their own statement claiming that there are eyewitnesses who saw the police attack their classmates, and that the students had been threatened by the National Guard before. State authorities announced that they found a weapon and what appears to be drugs in the vehicle, but the students maintain that the evidence was planted. 

Students in Guerrero have responded to this incident by setting fire to several police cars, and there is the potential for this incident to ignite more protests, especially given the link to the Ayotzinapa Case. 

March in Mexico City for International Women’s Day

On Friday (03/08) afternoon, Mexico City’s streets will be filled with individuals participating in the annual march for International Women’s Day, which will conclude with a rally with several speeches in Mexico City’s main square. 

Joining other marches around the world on International Women’s Day, Mexican activist groups are using this march to draw attention to the dangers that women face in Mexico, particularly the high rate of femicide and violence against women. One activist highlighted that every day, 11 women are killed and 7 women disappear in Mexico. 

For more information on femicide and gender-based violence in Mexico, take a look at the Engendering Safety: Addressing Femicide in Mexico initiative.

US imports from Mexico reach historic high in January 2024

According to new data from the United States Census Bureau, US imports from Mexico reached a record high of $38 billion USD in January 2024, a demonstration of the continuing high level of trade between the two countries. 

Imports from Mexico accounted for 15% of the total US imports in the first month of 2024, which makes Mexico the top supplier to the US. Mexican imports of US goods declined slightly in January 2024, but the total trade between the countries still totaled $64.5 billion USD, so Mexico maintains its position as the top trading partner of the US with a 15.6% share of US foreign trade. Canada came in second place with 14.4%, and China came in third place with 11.6%.