The Ghost of Ayotzinapa Haunts "El Cepillo" Once More
Felipe Salgado Rodríguez, "El Cepillo," a key figure in the Ayotzinapa case, has been re-arrested. Accused of leading the criminal group Guerreros Unidos, he was previously released due to lack of evidence and allegations of torture.
The Ayotzinapa case, now marking its tenth year, remains an enduring symbol of justice delayed, marred by impunity, and the painful intersection of organized crime and state complicity in Mexico. The recent recapture of Felipe Salgado Rodríguez, known as El Cepillo or El Terco, reawakens the ghosts of a tragedy that shook the nation and reverberated far beyond its borders. But with this arrest, the question arises: does this act signify progress toward justice, or is it just another chapter in a seemingly endless cycle of corruption, failed investigations, and unfulfilled promises?
In the early hours of September 20, in the coastal city of Acapulco, Guerrero, personnel from the Federal Ministerial Police stormed a house in the Las Vigas neighborhood. The operation culminated in the re-arrest of Rodríguez Salgado, who had walked free in 2018 after the courts ruled that his confessions were extracted through torture. For the families of the 43 missing students from Ayotzinapa, this re-arrest is an echo of the past, a glimmer of hope tinged with the bitter memory of repeated failures to hold those responsible accountable.
