Dr Benjamin Smith, Associate Professor of Latin American History at the University of Warwick, has said that the Mexican government’s announcement on the identification of the remains of one of 43 missing Ayotzinapa students will be met with “a heavy dose of scepticism”.

Dr Smith’s, who is available to disucss the story via Warwick’s Globelnyx TV camera and ISDN line, expert comment in full:

“Yesterday authorities identified some of the charred remains found in a garbage tip outside Iguala as those of Alexander Mora Venancio, one of the 43 missing Ayotzinapa students. The Mexican attorney general, Jesus Murillo Karam has used the evidence to bring some closure to the disappearances, hinting that in the next few days the rest of the remains will be identified.

But in Mexico government announcements are treated with a heavy dose of scepticism. The parents of the missing students refuse to give up hope. And the thousands of Mexicans who have mobilized against corruption, impunity, and violence may not be satisfied with the authorities attempting to bring some closure to the events.”