Amlo Denounces Difamatory Campaign!
Mexico City, Aug 12 (EFE).-
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Monday denounced on his morning press conference a campaign against him after Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada alleged that Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha, a member of the ruling party, was going to meet with him on the day of his arrest.
The Mexican leader was referring to the letter released on Saturday by Zambada’s lawyer, in which he states that he was taken to the United States “by force” after being deceived by Joaquín Guzmán, the son of his former partner Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
In the letter, Zambada revealed details from his Jul. 25 arrest by US authorities when he arrived on a private plane at an airport outside El Paso, Texas.
The drug lord stated that he had gone to a “ranch” outside Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa, to meet with the state governor from the ruling National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party and the late elected deputy Héctor Cuén.
López Obrador supported Rocha’s “firm action” and “great courage” in confronting these accusations on Saturday and requesting that the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR) investigate Cuén’s murder and the alleged meeting with Zambada.
He also stated that “since these events occurred, the Attorney General’s Office began to investigate what happened and requested information from the US government.”
López Obrador stressed he “trusts completely” thet the Mexican prosecutors’ office will investigate the case because “things cannot be hidden and the truth must be told.”
“Information should be provided as soon as possible so that the whole truth concerning this matter is known. Further information should be requested from the US government as not all details are yet available,” he said.
He added that there is still no solid evidence and we should not make assumptions, “but the FGR has stated that the plane left the vicinity of Culiacán.”
On the other hand, he expressed doubts about the statement made Friday by US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar that the capture of Zambada and Guzmán López was “an operation between drug cartels” without the involvement of the Mexican or US governments.
“Who knows? The ambassador is a professional, and he has treated us with respect, as has the US government, but there are many interests in between,” the president said.
He also dismissed the idea that it was a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operation, saying he understood “it could have been a US Department of Justice operation, and they need to clarify that” because it will be known eventually. EFE
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