University governance and the ripple effects of the Ayotzinapa disappearances: comparative evidence and testimonies from Estado de México, Querétaro, and Sonora

Abstract

This paper analyses how the enforced disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College (Iguala, Guerrero, 2014) has influenced university governance, academic autonomy, and institutional responses to enforced disappearances in three Mexican states outside Guerrero: Estado de México (Edomex), Querétaro and Sonora. Drawing on official disappearance registries, regional monitoring reports, contemporary journalism and statements by family-members and human-rights defenders, the study triangulates quantitative trends in reported disappearances with qualitative extracts from key informants to probe how universities act (or fail to act) as sites of memory, protest and institutional accountability. Results show that Edomex concentrates a disproportionate share of registered disappearances and that both Sonora and Querétaro have experienced worrisome increases in recent years; universities in these states have played varied roles—from providing spaces for family-led memorialization and legal aid to being the target of institutional pressure and co-optation by local authorities. The paper concludes with reflections on governance reforms universities can adopt to protect students, support families, and demand transparent investigations.