Response from the President of the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Dr. Rafael Rangel Sostmann

On April 26, 2010, I received the response to my letter (Ref.: Open Letter to the President of the Tecnológico de Monterrey) from Dr. Rangel Sostmann. On May 1, in accordance to the Monterrey newspaper El Norte, in a confusing and bad organized press conference, the federal authorities in charge of the investigation of the murder of both students (la Procuraduría General de la República -PGR) offered practically nothing concrete about the clarification of the murders, although some footage from the surveillance video at the university Campus was released. The PGR recognized that the scene of the crime had been severely altered. The official statement also admitted no participation of the military in the killing of the students, and no clear explanation was offered about how the students were killed. Their university ID’s still are missing. I think it is extremely important to have access to the whole surveillance footage in order to determine how the students died, but it seems impossible for the authorities to make it public, at least for the moment.

Following, the translation of President Rangel Sotsmann’s letter:

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April 21, 2010

Dear Dr. Cano:

I would like to thank you for your letter in which you state your opinion about the attitude that Mexican universities should assume [in the current circumstances]. I also appreciate that you attached to your letter the opinions and proposals of your students at the University of Monterrey.

I really think that your statement is of great value, and I am glad that you sent a copy of your letter to other Presidents of Mexican universities. I coincide with you, we stand before a grave problem within our society and, as institutions that formulate its backbone, we must assume the duty that lies before us.

I am sending your letter and the attached material to Dr. Bernardo González Aréchiga, Dean of our Graduate School of Public Policies and Administration, so he can incorporate the proposals and highly valued opinions of your students to the final document, which will synthesize the whole body of opinions and proposals that we have received up to now.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rafael Rangel Sostmann

President of the Tecnológico de Monterrey

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