Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda distanced herself from any ties to organized crime during her weekly press conference held this Wednesday in the municipality of Ensenada.
At the end of the conference, and in response to press pressure, Ávila Olmeda denied any involvement with these groups, referring to the report published that day by the international media outlet Reuters, which stated that “the US is pressuring Mexico to prosecute politicians with ties to cartels.”
In the released statement, high-profile US security officials are cited, without naming or providing positions.
“Reuters could not determine whether the United States provided Mexico with a list of politicians suspected of having ties to organized crime or evidence against them. However, two of the sources stated that five current Morena officials and a former senator were mentioned in the talks, including Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila,” the body of the text reports.
The state governor recalled that the U.S. Embassy issued a statement last week “denying several of the speculations and rumors that had arisen.”
“Regarding today’s statement, I can tell you that any information that seeks, or attempts to link me to any criminal group is completely false. During my administration, we have been combative against all criminal groups.”
The numbers and seizures are there, the governor continued, and we are one of the states with the most seizures nationwide.
“So, I don’t know the sources, because no sources are mentioned. What we can say and affirm from the U.S. Embassy itself, where they deny any information that has been speculated, rumored, and so on. And I can also say: any information that attempts to link me to any criminal group is completely false,” she reiterated.
Finally, Marina del Pilar assured that she will continue working “with her head held high” and “a very clear conscience.”
According to Reuters, the Donald Trump administration is “pressuring” Mexico to investigate and prosecute politicians with alleged ties to organized crime, with the goal of extraditing them to the United States, should criminal charges arise in that country.
To this end, the outlet cited “familiar sources” and stated that these requests have been made on at least three occasions by Secretary Marco Rubio; it also stated that in these meetings, US officials have “requested action against several politicians from Sheinbaum’s own Morena party,” and have even threatened “to impose more tariffs if Mexico does not take action.”
Source: proceso
