The president of the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA), Vania Pérez Morales, urged Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda this Wednesday to step down as governor of Baja California for reasons of “public integrity,” after the Morena party politician acknowledged that the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has an open investigation against her ex-husband, Carlos Torres Torres, for his alleged ties to organized crime.
The president of the SNA called on the governor to resign or request a leave of absence “in order to guarantee conditions of maximum transparency, impartiality, and public trust in the face of the situation that is currently causing concern in society,” and appealed to Ávila’s “public integrity,” “democratic consistency,” and “institutional responsibility.”
At the helm of the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA), a coordinating body created during Enrique Peña Nieto’s six-year term—which has been undermined by Peña Nieto himself and his successors, Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo—Vania Pérez has taken a critical stance toward another figure of the so-called Fourth Transformation. Last October, she asked the Senate to investigate the assets of Morena party senator Adán Augusto López Hernández, in light of journalistic revelations about the former governor of Tabasco’s millions of dollars in questionable income. López Hernández is also embroiled in a scandal involving collusion between his close associates and criminal groups operating in the state.
This time, Vania Pérez joined a wave of public denunciations initiated by Marina del Pilar Ávila herself during a press conference, in which she confirmed the existence of investigations against her ex-husband, who held the position of head of strategic projects in the state administration. According to the investigation file, revealed by N+ Focus, the man allegedly belonged to a network dedicated to extortion, arms trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
Last May, it was revealed that the United States government had revoked the visas of the Morena party politician and Carlos Torres Torres, leading to a unique situation, as the state she governs borders California.
Initially, the couple attributed the visa revocation to an administrative matter, until the existence of an investigation by U.S. authorities against Carlos Torres was revealed, along with a series of inquiries against Mexican politicians allegedly linked to criminal groups.
Cornered by the controversy, on October 8, the governor announced that she was “in the process of divorcing” Carlos Torres, although she added that she respects him “very much,” and referred to him as “a great man” and “a great father.”
Source: proceso
