Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera recalled that this type of investigation and trial, such as that of Genaro García Luna, is not carried out overnight, which raises questions regarding the true objective of the proceeding against him, which has been accusations to the Prosecutors for deficiencies in the process.
Mexico City, February 10 (However).- The federal prosecutors leading the trial against Genaro Garcia Lunadue to corruption and alleged links with drug cartels in Mexico, have not done a good job so far because they had the necessary time to gather a greater number of evidence and witnesses to indict the former Secretary of Public Security of Felipe Calderon Hinojosa (2006-2012), stated Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera security specialist and research professor at George Mason University.
In an interview with Álvaro Delgado and Alejandro Páez on the program Journalists that is broadcast on YouTube through the SinEmbargo Al Aire channel, the academic indicated that there is a lot of misinformation about the reasons why the trial will be shorter than expected and why the Prosecutors have only focused on presenting evidence of corruption related to Mexico and have bypassed the United States.
“We are starting from a lack of information, we do not know why this trial was shortened, we do not have an idea. This trial was postponed several times because the Prosecutor’s Office supposedly had a series of evidence, at one point it was even said that it had a million pages that they had to accommodate so much evidence. On another occasion, there were about 5 thousand recordings, where are these recordings? I think that going back to the question of the role of US prosecutors, why didn’t they do their job well?
Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera questioned the reasons why all the evidence that the prosecutors spoke about in the first instance has not been presented and did not rule out the possibility that it is to “protect” United States officials.
“Why are you only presenting a small number of testimonies from people who present an idea that only pertains to Mexico and its alleged corruption at the highest levels and not to the United States? Probably if we continue to try or if the defense continues to try to get more information, probably not just members of the US security agencies like the DEA or the FBI but also high level politicians in the United States, that’s a possibility why if so many The evidence delayed the trial, this evidence has not been presented, this is very interesting to me and of course it makes us think that something has to do with this”.
The security specialist recalled that these types of investigations and trials are not carried out overnight, which raises questions regarding the true objective of the trial against Genaro García Luna, which has been marked by accusations against prosecutors for deficiencies in the process.
“These kinds of investigations and these kinds of lawsuits don’t happen overnight and I also can’t understand these stories from American politicians who found out years later that this was happening. This is something that really makes us raise our eyebrows, makes us question, not only the objective of this trial, the role of the agencies, but a whole scaffolding, a whole system that does not do justice, that has certain objectives and that protects the US politicians themselves, because no one can think that Mexicans are the only bad guys”.
Last Wednesday, February 8, the Prosecutor’s Office took an unexpected turn in the trial of Genaro García Luna by announcing that it would call its last witness next week. The decision generated a series of questions from the prosecutors since the interrogations were expected to last six weeks. In addition, it was announced that the former Secretary of Public Security could testify but it will depend on the evidence presented in the final stage, his wife Linda Cristina Pereyra acknowledged.
Federal prosecutors indicated that they have an “important witness” whose transfer has been complicated, but they did not give details, in addition to describing evidence found on García Luna’s computer and other devices.
Correa-Cabrera recalled that drug trafficking is not an exclusive problem for Mexico, it also concerns the United States, which is the main market and the largest consumer of drugs in the world. Therefore, she said, special attention should be paid to the US federal authorities and agencies to find out what happens to the narcotics once they cross the border.
“We are talking about a transnational business, we are talking about drug trafficking that crosses the border, why does nobody ask in these trials when it arrives once and crosses the border, how is it distributed, what is the role of the US authority at all levels? , not only at the federal level, not only the DEA, the FBI, the department this, the Department of Homeland Security, the Sheriffs’ offices in the different in the different counties, what happens with the authorities at the federal state local level of the United States? This is never heard in these types of trials.
Faced with the possibility that Genaro García Luna is declared innocent, Guadalupe Correa said that if this happens “it would be a shame for the Prosecutor’s Office and the work they have presented”, because he stressed, he had enough time to gather evidence and witnesses enough.
“I imagine not (he is released) because this would be a shame for the Prosecutor’s Office, well, the work they have presented is a shame, the witnesses they have presented, the lack of elements to support these testimonies, that is, , it is really possible because of the case that is very flimsy […] I think this also reflects the lack of respect shown to Latin Americans, to Mexicans, it’s something impressive, so many years to have more than a dozen witnesses and then the trial is shortened and ended, is this the only thing that could it be achieved in all this time? It is very unfortunate everything that is happening and what can happen contributing to this narrative and contributing to the interests of the United States to declare the Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.
The academic recalled that the trial against the former secretary of public security is carried out according to the interests of the United States. She indicated that the process has reinforced the idea promoted by members of the Republican party to close the borders with Mexico and to declare the Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.
“The trial gives them and consolidates their narrative that presents the cartels as linked to the highest authorities in Mexico and also reinforces this idea of Donald Trump and the elite of the Republican party in relation to closing borders. […] They have been supporting this idea that the Mexican cartels should be named as international terrorist organizations, this trial is going to contribute to this narrative, it is going to contribute to this idea and very probably by 2024 it will be a campaign slogan of the Republican party to win the White House.
Federal prosecutors leading the trial of Genaro García Luna are expected to present an “important witness” next Monday. It is officially unknown who that character would be, but given the development of the judicial process, the mentions in court by US agents, as well as cooperating witnesses and a protected witness, there are three possible names: Édgar Valdez Villarreal, alias “La Barbie” , Iván Reyes Arzate, alias “La Reina” and Jesús “El Rey” Zambada García.
Alejandro Páez Varela and Álvaro Delgado Gómez