Lucio R. for Borderland Beat
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"No more kidnappings of teachers!! ", shouted Gabriel Perez Mendoza 18 years old, the nephew of a Guerrero principal who died while in captivity. Perez Mendoza broke down in the middle of his emotional speech at his uncle’s funeral.
More than 2000 people attended the funeral on Sunday for abducted school principal (called directors in Mexico) Joaquin Real Toldeo the principal of Secundaria Técnica 114 in Santana del Águila, Guerrero.
Gunman burst into the school last Monday and violently abducted 5 educators including Real Toledo.
Residents and families pooled together and paid the ransom demand, not knowing Real Toledo was dead, reportedly from an asthma attack sometime during his first day of captivity.
Although his body was badly decomposed when discovered on Saturday, the 4 surviving teachers gave their testimony.
Although his body was badly decomposed when discovered on Saturday, the 4 surviving teachers gave their testimony.
They report that on the first day of captivity, Real Toledo complained of difficulty breathing, the teachers told their captors that the principal was in trouble and very ill. “They didn’t care, and watched him die”, said the teachers in their testimony. The 4 teachers said he died from an asthma attack.
On Friday, Xavier Olea, Guerrero attorney general said that, according to the testimonies of those released, they testified the director became ill from asthma and died. The attorney general added, that it is not certain if the death was brought on by the long distances of walking the captives were forced to do. At first reports indicated he had been murdered, but later reports from reliable publications such as Reforma, and Animal Political, said the testimony of the 4 surviving teacher stated he died from asthma.
The teachers were found in late on Friday after the morning discovery of 21 men from the neighboring town of Arcelia, who had been abducted on their way to a wedding in a convoy of cars. They were released alive.
Authorities say that those responsible are a newly formed group of kidnappers, formed by a former member of a cartel operating in Guerrero.
On January 12, five narco mantas were displayed throughout Acapulco. The banners addressed to various police agencies and groups, stated that the Beltran Leyva group was not responsible for the extortions and kidnappings, however they did say they would be clearing out the people that are culpable. The mantas were signed “Beltran Leyva”.
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| 21 kidnapped from Arcelia |