A disturbing pattern of systemic violence, severe abuse, and alleged cover-ups has emerged across Mexico’s military-style academies following the deaths of three minors over three years, according to a report published by El País.
The victims—Zamir Pinto (16), Erick Terán (13), and Dafne Zapata (13)—died in separate incidents while attending or participating in summer programs hosted by military-themed private academies in different Mexican states. Despite occurring in different regions, their cases share striking similarities: brutal physical mistreatment by instructors followed by attempts from school officials to attribute the deaths to pre-existing medical conditions.
In April 2025, Erick Terán died during an unauthorized camp in Morelos organized by the Ollín Cuauhtémoc Military Academy. While administrators initially claimed he suffered from dehydration or heart failure, former classmates revealed that instructors dragged Erick across the floor, repeatedly struck his torso, and subjected cadets to humiliating punishments, such as cleaning bathrooms with toothbrushes.
In July 2026, 13-year-old Dafne Zapata died during a summer camp run by the Marina Doenitz Military Academy in Tamaulipas. School directors insisted she collapsed in the showers, but an autopsy confirmed death by asphyxiation due to submersion. Her family maintains she was tortured, leading to the arrest of an 18-year-old assistant instructor.
Three years prior in the State of Mexico, Zamir Pinto died from severe abdominal trauma caused by repeated kicks from an instructor, despite school staff initially notifying his family that he had suffered an epileptic seizure.
Families of the victims, led by grieving mothers like Erika Torbellín and Alejandra Quintos, are calling on Mexican authorities to establish strict regulatory oversight. Currently, these institutions operate without specialized educational frameworks or oversight regarding their disciplinary methods. Complicating matters, a pervasive “code of silence” enforced through threats prevents students from reporting routine beatings, initiation rituals, and extreme confinement.
As legal proceedings drag on, families demand systemic reforms and accountability to prevent these unregulated academies from claiming more young lives.
Source: El País
