The theater of accusation
President Claudia Sheinbaum sent a clear message from the National Palace: there will be no moves without solid evidence. Faced with the US government’s extradition request against licensed governor Rubén Rocha Moya, for alleged ties to drug trafficking, the president does not mince words.
“Governor Rocha, an order came from the United States for his urgent arrest, everything that that order brings, what we have said, evidence, the prosecutor’s office opens its investigation because it is the obligation of the prosecutor’s office, but we must put everything in its proper term. We do not protect anyone, absolutely no one, if there is evidence, go ahead, but there has to be evidence,” he stated.
Where is the evidence?
Sheinbaum went straight to the point: in Mexico, the adversarial criminal system requires evidence for any arrest, regardless of the profile of the accused. “To arrest any person in Mexico, be it a licensed governor, a most dangerous criminal… there has to be evidence and an arrest warrant based on evidence,” he explained. The million-dollar question: what does the United States have on its record?
Lies and smoke screens
The president also lashed out at what she called a “staggering number of lies” this week, including accusations of corruption against members of her administration. He directly questioned journalist Loret de Mola: “Where does he get that from? What is its basis? What is its source?” he launched, exposing the lack of support in certain narratives.
Sheinbaum plays his cards cleverly: he does not close the door to international cooperation, but he demands that the game be fair. On this political board, evidence is the only real currency.
