Mexico: The Narco Governors

Borderland Beat By José Gil Olmos for Proceso

Today this type of news no longer attracts much attention,  but  in just one day, three Mexican governors were publicly accused as  being involved in drug trafficking.  It has become the norm,  to read news reports of Mexican officials being linked to organized crime or being shown in criminal situations, without anyone being outraged.  The ability to be surprised seems to have been lost.

In the beginning of  last week,  the names of former PRI governors;  Fausto Vallejo of  Michoacán, Tomás Yarrington Tamaulipas, , and Jorge Torres, Coahuila,  made the daily news.     All three are accused of having committed criminal acts directly, or indirectly by covering for family members who are part of an organized criminal gang. 

The faces of the three former public officials could be seen on the covers of the daily newspapers or websites as part of the news of the day.  Alongside other, no less serious news,  like the situation of the abandonment of thousands of central American migrant children on the border with the United States and the energy and telecommunications reforms that privatize national assets. 

With losses on the soccer field, and  the disruptive demonstrations of the soccer mobs who by drowning themselves in alcohol, left no distinction between social or economic classes, in effect burying the news of the three former governors, which attracted little public attention.  No interest in these stories, even though they are the clearest example of the deterioration and corruption of the political and governing class. 

It seems that Mexicans are more accustomed to scandals, violence and corruption than political, legislative or judicial achievements.  In fact, years ago, the transformation of political news into criminal news became normal for us, due to the constant cases of corruption of political personalities without distinction of ideological current. 

The list of Mexican politicians accused of having links to, or belonging to, criminal groups is long and has been in existence for several decades.  At  least,  since the era of Carlos Salinas de Gortari, when such cases came to light publicly in the most shameless way,  by the stories of Raúl Salinas and Mario Villanueva Madrid (Governor of Quintana Roo),  who was arrested when he finished his term of office in Ernesto Zedillo’s administration. 

Today we know that the United States authorities have already prepared witnesses and charges for  drug trafficking, money laundering and banking fraud case against the former governor of Tamaulipas, Tomás Yarrington , whose relationship with drug trafficking has been publicized for a decade now. 

 

Jorge Torres and Humberto Moreira

The interim former governor of Coahuila, Jorge Torres López, has been declared a fugitive from justice in the United States for not presenting himself to testify in the civil trial. that he himself initiated, attempting to recover the 2.7 million dollars held in a bank in the Bermudas.  Since then, the U.S. anti-drug agency (DEA) has issued an international wanted warrant with interpol. 

The last case is that of former governor Fausto Vallejo, who, just a few days ago, handed in his resignation, supposedly for health reasons, but everything indicates that it is to try to protect his son, Rodrigo, who is being investigated for his possible links with Caballeros Templarios in Michoacán. 

Although the three examples are of politicians from PRI the PAN party also has cases of its own,  such as  that of the former governor of Morelos, Sergio Estrada Cajigal, accused of having alliances with José Esparragoza Moreno, “El Azul”.   And, in the PRD Party, there is former governor, Leonel Godoy, whose half-brother, Julio César Godoy Toscano, has been a fugitive from justice since 2010, accused of collusion with La Familia Michoacana. 

As the merger of politics and drug trafficking has increasingly become extensive and deep, it is almost certain that in the future there will be other examples.  Maxi-investigations are needed, similar to those that have transpired in Italy, the United States and Colombia to impede this sensation, before organized crime and especially drug trafficking control all political power.  

Also, we need to halt this practice of perceiving as normal, that which is not; corruption, impunity and injustice.

Former Governor Fausto and his son who is being investigated