Wife of El Chapo claims he has experienced physical and emotional deterioration

Posted by DD from Proceso Translated for BB by Guest Translator El Rebe

Emma Coronel Aispuro, esposa de Guzmán Loera. Foto: Telemundo

MEXICO CITY - The wife of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Emma Coronel, claimed that her husband has experienced physical and emotional deterioration in seclusion, which has undermined the health of the ex-drug boss.

She also denounced the constant violation of human rights of the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, because "he spends locked 24 hours a day in a cell of four square meters, depressed, alone, without seeing sunlight and only thinking of how his legal process will end”, which could end with extradition to the United States.

Coronel Aispuro also revealed that El Chapo is aware of many things, including that the government of Mexico suspect his children are responsible for the attack that occurred on Friday September 30^th, in Culiacan, Sinaloa, where five soldiers were killed and 10 others wounded after an ambush by an organized crime group.

In an interview with “El Diario de Chihuahua”, the former model, who said she met El Chapo 10 years ago, said that for her it is "tiring" to see how her husband looks "increasingly worse each time ", she said after seeing him in one of the visiting rooms at Cefereso 9 North, located in the Juarez desert, about 13 kilometers south of the border city.

"He is no longer the same" as Guzman shows signs of depression, isolation and psychological torture, Coronel Aispuro said.

"He looks increasingly listless," the woman told the local newspaper, via telephone, after leaving the federal prison, waiting for her flight at the "Abraham González" International Airport.

Emma Coronel also said that El Chapo writes letters to her and both twin daughters from prison, which "helps him imagine having someone close, and not feeling empty."

She also told the local media that, on occasion, the accused (El Chapo) told her "that he wishes to talk to another inmate, it doesn’t matter who, but would only like to communicate with someone."

Silvia Delgado, an attorney from Juarez handling the case of El Chapo, stated her client has expressed on repeated occasions the need for even a moment out in the courtyard to feel the sun's rays.

"He wants to see the other prisoners to convince himself he’s not alone". 

The defense attorney even prepared a written document of activities that her client is entitled to receive as any other inmate, according to the Law on Execution of Punishment. However, she told the newspaper that prison authorities have rejected such requests, closing the records without giving a reason.

Another claim from the drug traffickers’ attorneys is they are only allowed to see their client every 8 or 10 days, for one hour, what they consider a violation of his human rights. "They denied my written (plan of activities) brief because they say I do not have legal standing, when he has credited me as his lawyer. 

There are many violations to this person, " Delgado told El Diario de Chihuahua, and elaborated on rumors the deterioration of El Chapo’s health caused him to attempt suicide, are just rumors.

"On the contrary, he wants to live to continue watching their daughters," said the attorney.

In addition, Emma Coronel also alleged that Guzman does not want to take the four daily pills federal prison medical staff at Juarez have administered for sleep, the brain, anti-anxiety and depression.

"With the pills he gets very tense. Then afterwards he deteriorates, in my words, he becomes groggy, so then they give him a different one so that he is not like that. They bring him up and down. He has a fear of too much medication, then they (prison authorities) come out and say he tried to kill himself, " said his wife.

"He says he does not see the reason for so much medication and that it’s affecting his health, his memory, too many things," Coronel said.

Finally, Coronel said pressure exercised against him is intentional by the government, because he does not receive the same treatment as other prisoners, he’s not even allowed to speak by telephone with his family.

The newspaper recalls that after various protections filed by his attorney’s months ago in district courts, prison staff at Cefereso Juarez scheduled a routine to get El Chapo out twice a day to the courtyard, and once a week he was allowed to watch a movie as entertainment, mainly Mario Moreno “Cantinflas.”

The capo has spent five months in detention at the Juarez prison after being transferred from the maximum security prison El Altiplano, in the State of Mexico -where he was held after his recapture, during an air operation last May 7.

The Sinaloa drug trafficker faces extradition to the United States, where he is wanted on charges of conspiracy, drug trafficking and murder, with indictments against him in states like California, Texas, Illinois, New York, New Hampshire and Florida.