Marko Cortés: "García Luna has nothing to do with the PAN"

The National Action Party (PAN), the largest opposition force in Mexico, is facing one of its greatest tests in recent times.

The right-wing formation has not won the Presidency in more than a decade, since Felipe Calderón left power in 2012. And the legacy of that government is more in question than ever.

Genaro García Luna, Secretary of Public Security and President Calderón's right-hand man, was found guilty of drug trafficking, organized crime and lying to US authorities on February 21.

The historic ruling revealed, as never before, the collaboration between the Mexican authorities and the drug trafficker.

What does the party in the eye of the storm have to say after what happened in the Brooklyn court?

The PAN leader, Marko Cortés,

receives EL PAÍS at the national headquarters to insist that García Luna "was never a militant" and that "he has nothing to do with the PAN".

"He was a government official and if he did something wrong, well, let him pay for it, period," settles the 45-year-old politician.

Cortés avoids mentioning who was in government.

In fact, in more than half an hour of the interview, he does not call Calderón by his name.

Nor does he make a strong statement on whether the ex-president should be held accountable in court and affirms that he has not spoken with him about it.

Sitting in his office, glued to a cup of coffee that he is holding tightly, Cortés answers practically the same thing about the most thorny issues and tries to take the conversation to the field where he feels more comfortable: "We are going to win in 2024."

It does not matter if it is the case against García Luna, the criticism of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador or if he will definitively distance himself from Calderón.

The PAN leader clings to five words: “We are going to win on the 24th”.

This is a condensed version of his answers on the issues that have crossed the country's main right-wing formation in recent weeks, from the rapprochement of PAN militants with the far-right Vox movement to the future of the alliance he is leading in the next elections. .

Ask.

What right-wing parties or movements in other countries do Marko Cortés and the PAN identify with?

Answer.

We identify ourselves, for example, particularly in Spain with the PP [Popular Party].

It is a sister party, an allied party.

In Europe, another ally is the CDU [Christian Democratic Union, Germany].

We agree with many parties in the world that have to do with political humanism, with which the performance of politics must have the well-being of the people as its center.

Public policy that does not help the development of the person is not a humanist policy.

And we, by the way, position ourselves as the only humanist party in Mexico.

In this section of the interview, Cortés affirms that the Government of López Obrador "has the same dictatorial cut as Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba" and that "the president admires dictatorships."

Asked about the United States, Cortés says: "There are issues on which we agree with the Republican Party and others with the Democratic Party, it all depends on the issues."

The politician talks about how he defends the redistribution of wealth and a free market economy.

"That's what we believe and think."

Q.

What about the rapprochements that the PAN has had with far-right movements like Vox?

R.

The PAN has not had any rapprochement with far-right movements.

Q.

Several figures from the PAN have met here in Mexico, with Vox and its representatives...

R.

Individually, but not the PAN.

Q.

And what do you think about that?

R.

Well, I don't believe in extremes.

I think they have hurt the world a lot.

Radical positions, on one side or the other, affect our country.

Therefore, today is a moment in which we must seek to attend the center, where your freedom is respected, where your way of thinking is respected and where you are helped to improve your living conditions.

Q.

How has the ruling against Garcia Luna affected your party?

R.

Genaro García Luna was a government official and if he did something wrong, then pay for it, period.

We are in favor of justice and that whoever did it pays for it.

Now, this character was never a member of Acción Nacional.

Q.

But you were Secretary of Security for Felipe Calderón, the last PAN president.

A.

That's why.

If he acts badly, let him pay for his actions, as everyone should pay.

In fact, it is noteworthy that the former United States prosecutor [William Barr] himself is pointing out the complicity of the López Obrador government.

What a pity that it has to be in the United States where justice is done due to the lack of action or due to the complicity of the Mexican authorities.

Q.

Many people associate you with the party, even though you were not a militant.

How does the PAN intend to distance itself from the figure of García Luna?

R.

It has nothing to do with the PAN.

Cortés reiterates that "it is painful that Mexican justice is not robust enough to be able to put everyone in their place" and assures that when the López Obrador government ends it will be "in another country where they are judged for their complicity and lack of action” against organized crime.

The PAN president insists that there are clear indications that "there is a narco-state."

He affirms that Mexico has become "the most violent country in history" and that this six-year term "has many more deaths" than the previous ones.

“This shows that things are going from bad, but from very bad, to worse,” he adds.

Q.

And what does everything that was revealed in the trial say about the Calderón government?

A.

Exactly the same.

Q.

Could you elaborate on that answer?

R.

Well, just like that, it was a government that had very good results in terms of health and infrastructure;

who launched very successful programs such as the one that gave solid ground to the most vulnerable people, and who launched programs such as children's day care centers.

All this was very positive and the only thing that López Obrador has done is destroy it.

Q.

But what about a policy like the war on drugs, for example?

R.

Well, there were many fewer deaths than there are in the Government of López Obrador.

Q.

But alarming testimonies came out in the trial, of the complicity between the drug trafficker and the authorities...

A.

Yes, all of this must be sanctioned and avoided.

And even more so when you see a president who is already crudely going to shake hands with El Chapo's mother or releasing a persecuted criminal.

It's the dumbest thing we've ever seen in politics.

Q.

Have you spoken with former President Calderón about it?

A.No.

_

Q.

And

with former president Vicente Fox?

A.

Yes, permanently.

Q.

And what does he tell you about what happened in New York?

R.

Nothing, we talked about how we are going to win in 2024.

Q.

Didn't they talk about García Luna?

A.

Of course not.

It's not a topic.

Q.

He was in charge of the Federal Investigation Agency, created during that Administration...

R.

No, we talked about how we are going to win on the 24th.

Q.

Don't you think that former President Calderón would also have to be held accountable?

R.

He will have to do his part.

Q.

Former President Calderón says that if something wrong happened, he did not know.

Do you believe him?

R.

Look, what I can tell you is that in Mexico there must be justice and it must be even and for everyone.

And the example should be set at home.

Unfortunately, today we see the worst corruption with the Government of López Obrador.

Q.

Don't you think that if the president doesn't find out about such a level of corruption and collusion with drug trafficking, it's the president's mistake?

R.

Imagine, López Obrador says that he did not know about his brothers receiving money, the contracts of all his relatives, the corruption network of his closest collaborators and his senators.

According to López Obrador, he knows nothing.

P.

One side is as bad as the other, right?

R.

No. I tell you that the part of López Obrador is terrible.

Q.

How is the atmosphere between the militancy and the party figures with this issue?

Was there an internal reflection?

R.

We are focused on winning the 24.

Q.

There are many people who voted for the PAN in 2000 and 2006 who are perhaps disappointed.

What would you tell them?

R.

We are focused on winning the 24th, we are working on that and the game is going very well.

Q.

There are many people who are not a PAN member who affirm that the PAN should even change its image or its acronym after this.

What would you answer?

R.

That the PAN is focused on giving good results to the people, in contrasting our good governments

the others, in defending the Constitution from the Chamber of Deputies and from the Senate.

That the PAN is assuming the responsibility of being the main opposition force in Mexico to build change in 2024.

Q.

In summary, the PAN has nothing to do with García Luna?

R.

In summary, the PAN will win in 2024.

Q.

Does it have nothing to do with Felipe Calderón?

R.

And in summary, we are working to achieve it.

Q.

Does it have nothing to do with your last president?

Do you also distance yourself from him?

R.

No, what we are doing is getting the best out of each of our governments.

Talking about all the achievements and successes they had at the municipal, state and national level.

Q.

Don't you think your adversaries will use this against your candidate?

R.

We are clear that there is a social awakening that we are seeing and feeling.

It will be a plebiscite election.

Do you want this destructive government to continue or do you want things to change?

And this is how we are going to achieve it.

For this reason, the PAN has the responsibility of adding as much as possible to those who call themselves truly opponents, to the political parties that do not want to play the game of Morena, that do not want to distract or pulverize the opposition vote.

Q.

What would the PAN do so that these crimes are tried in Mexico and not in other countries?

A.

First, the justice institutions and the Attorney General of the Republic must be strengthened so that their files are well done, so that there is a true integration of strengthened investigation folders and very solid cases are brought before the Judiciary.

Q.

Now, former prosecutor Barr is talking about naming the cartels as terrorist groups and even empowering the President of the United States to take military action in Mexico.

Doesn't that seem very serious?

R.

It is more serious that the Government of Mexico is not acting and is letting criminal groups already control half of the national territory.

This is said by the United States, by the CIA and the DEA.

In Mexico, the fight against organized crime has ceased during this six-year term and for this reason criminal groups are expanding, violence is being generated and there are areas where it is no longer possible to travel or there are self-governments of organized crime.

That is more serious because it directly hurts Mexican families.

Q.

Do you agree with the United States taking military action in Mexico to combat drug trafficking?

R.

No, what I demand is that we live in peace and that the Government act, but it is not doing so.

Marko Cortés, national president of the National Action Party (PAN).

Nayeli Cruz

Q.

What does the PAN expect from the Supreme Court on the issue of electoral reform?

R.

Autonomy and to declare unconstitutional what clearly is.

Q.

And if it is not like that, what will the PAN be?

R.

What we hope is that the Court acts as Mexico's constitutional guarantor.

That is our bet.

We do not have plan B, our plan is to declare it unconstitutional.

Q.

Have you established communication with the Supreme Court and the National Electoral Institute?

R.

Yes, we have spoken with the National Electoral Institute and with the Electoral Tribunal for various issues.

Not with the Court.

Because we believe that they should be autonomous, that they should not be pressured by the government or by any other interest.

We have to ensure that constitutionality is enforced.

Society is demanding that.

We saw it with the social movement on February 26.

People left on their own foot here in Mexico City and in 100 other cities, not to follow any particular leader, but for a cause: to protect freedom, democracy and the INE.

The strength of society is the greatest pressure.

We believe that the ministers will act accordingly and enforce the Constitution.

Q.

What is the forecast of the party and the alliance for the elections in Coahuila and the State of Mexico?

R.

We believe that both States will win and that the sum of the alliance changed the situation.

Coahuila went from being lost in the polls to being a won state.

We are going to win with a huge margin.

And the State of Mexico went from being a State lost by a wide margin to being very competitive.

Q.

How much does the PAN earn with the PRI and the PRD as allies?

R.

Well, the coalition is resuming to take care of the INE.

The first reason to form the coalition goes beyond the electoral, to make the votes we have in Congress serve to take care of the country.

We have to make the coalition serve now and then, towards 2024.

Q.

Doesn't it remain for the PAN to have people like

Moreno as an ally?

R.

We are seeking to add all the people who believe that Mexico must change.

We assume ourselves as the agglutinators of the opposition forces, all those who really want to be in the opposition are necessary.

We are looking to build to be able to win in that plurality and in that diversity that Mexico means.

Q.

Despite the scandals you have?

R.

Well, we are looking to add all the Mexicans who really want to fight and change things in Mexico.

Q.

Are this year's elections a litmus test to see if the coalition will continue in 2024?

A.

Not really.

The sights and efforts are set on 2024.

Q.

Is the candidate for the presidency going to be a PAN member?

A.

Not necessarily.

Obviously, we have very good options and, preferably, we would like him to be a PAN player, but first we want to win.

Go with the best or the best.

We are willing to do whatever is necessary to win the presidency of the Republic.

subscribe here

to the EL PAÍS México

and receive all the key information on current affairs in this country