The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, assured this Wednesday that he hopes that, "for the good of the country", Genaro García Luna, who was found guilty of drug trafficking by a jury in New York on Tuesday and is now awaiting sentencing, decides to act. as a witness for the US Attorney's Office and reveal details of his years as Secretary of Security, and in particular if former presidents Vicente Fox (2000-2006) and Felipe Calderón (2006-2012) were involved in their business with drug cartels.
García Luna was found guilty of drug trafficking, among other crimes, after nine ex-capos of the Sinaloa cartel recounted in court how they paid millionaire bribes to the former official in exchange for protection and help between 2001 and 2012;
However, in their testimonies they did not implicate other politicians or former presidents.
López Obrador insisted this Wednesday, as he has done since the start of the trial, on the importance of the García Luna case serving to unravel corruption schemes and question other former presidents (who belong to a party now in opposition).
"There is still the possibility that García Luna declares himself as a witness and I would say as the president of Mexico, for the good of the country, that hopefully he will do so in exchange for reporting on whether he received orders or informed the former presidents," López
said
. Obrador in his morning press conference from the National Palace.
López Obrador during his press conference this Wednesday at the National Palace in Mexico City. José Méndez / EFE
García Luna headed the Federal Investigation Agency (AFI) during the Fox government (2000-2006), and later continued with Calderón (2006-2012) as his Secretary of Public Security.
Witnesses recounted before the federal court in Brooklyn that, during those years, he shared confidential information with the Sinaloa cartel, as investigations against them, and facilitated their work with the support of the Federal Police.
Have you ever seen anything weird?
What were the agreements?
What orders did he give you?" AMLO wondered, referring to Calderón, who had García Luna leading the so-called
war against drugs
.
Hours after the verdict, Calderón released a statement in which he distanced himself from the actions of his former Secretary of Security.
“I have never negotiated or agreed with criminals,” he said.
He had already expressed himself in this regard, and with almost the same words, when he was mentioned in the trial by the former state prosecutor Édgar Veytia, who connected him with an order to favor Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán
in
the internal war of the cartel.
"I categorically deny the absurd statements," he said, "I have never negotiated or agreed with criminals."
López Obrador considers, however, that information is lacking.
"What is the explanation that you are going to give the people of Mexico about why you named García Luna and if you knew or did not know?", he said during his press conference, "that is what we want information about, that is the explanation what are we waiting for".
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López Obrador distanced himself from the position of his party, Morena, which asked Congress this week to prosecute the former president.
“I don't agree with that.
What I believe is that we have to have all the elements and think about the good of the country.
This is going to help a lot.
As far as yesterday was reached, it is a contribution, but it is missing, ”he indicated.
He did rule in favor of García Luna contributing "by providing more information that helps to continue fighting drug trafficking, and above all the criminal association of authorities and criminals."
He considered that it is "very important" for both Mexico and the United States that the former secretary also detail
the possible links he had with the US authorities.
“He was even awarded by the United States authorities and it cannot be that they did not know either,” López Obrador reasoned.
[The prosecution alleges that García Luna helped the Sinaloa Cartel to become "the FedEx" of cocaine]
On whether the former secretary should be extradited to Mexico, he considered that it was best to wait for the sentence, which the judge, Brian Cogan, plans to make public in June.
García Luna is accused in Mexico of a corruption network with a family conglomerate of 40 companies that obtained public resources for 745 million dollars (money that was used to acquire numerous properties and luxurious vehicles).
"He wove a network of corruption and money laundering for personal benefit and his close associates," Pablo Gómez, head of the Financial Intelligence Unit, announced in early February.