International
López Obrador uses García Luna case to attack former presidents
February 24 |
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that he expects former Public Security Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, found guilty in the United States of accepting bribes from drug cartels, to testify whether he received orders from former presidents Felipe Calderon and Vicente Fox, strong critics of his government.
During his morning conference, López Obrador said he hopes that after the verdict García Luna will testify as a witness and inform whether he obeyed orders from the former presidents “or informed the former presidents” of his actions.
During Calderón’s administration (2006-2012) García Luna directed security policy, while during Fox’s administration (2000-2006) he headed the now defunct Federal Investigation Agency.
The President stated that it would also be favorable for Mexico and the United States that García Luna informs about his links with the US authorities.
López Obrador ruled out that the case of García Luna, the first high-ranking Mexican ex-official to be tried in a U.S. court, could affect Mexico’s image, and indicated that it will help “continue cleaning up corruption”, which has been one of his slogans during his administration that began in 2018. “It must remain for us as a lesson that these facts must never be repeated again,” he added.
Referring to the statement released by Calderón hours after the verdict -in which he distanced himself from the actions of his former security collaborator-, López Obrador said that the former president went off on a “tangent” by not answering questions about the case.
“What is the explanation you are going to give to the people of Mexico about why you appointed García Luna and if you knew or didn’t know?” he added.
The governor also took the opportunity to criticize the opposition National Action Party (PAN), which Calderón and Fox joined, and the Judicial Power for the sentence in favor of the ex-secretary’s wife, Linda Pereyra Gálvez, to unblock a bank account that had been frozen for more than three years after a process initiated by the Attorney General’s Office against her for the crime of operations with resources of illicit origin.
García Luna, 54, was found guilty on Tuesday by an anonymous jury in a New York federal court of participating in an ongoing criminal enterprise and could be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison at a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 27.
Hours after the announcement of the verdict Calderón said in a statement that the García Luna case does not demerit the struggle of thousands of police, military, prosecutors, judges and other public servants and assured that in the polarized environment in Mexico, the sanction of the former secretary “is already being used politically to attack me”.
“I never negotiated or made pacts with criminals. I never used the presidential investiture to advocate for their interests,” said Calderón in defending his administration and added that he fought all criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel, which witnesses testified in the trial was protected by García Luna in exchange for bribes.
The former president added that he had the support and recognition of the United States in the framework of security cooperation initiatives.
On the repercussions that the verdict could bring Ruben Salazar, director of the local political analysis and strategy firm Etellekt Consultores, told The Associated Press that the information and judicial actions that will come after the verdict will cause a “schism” that could reach many authorities and politicians of all forces, including the ruling party.
“It is not a trial against García Luna, but against Mexican narco-politics,” Salazar said, adding that “the entire political class is trembling right now” because they fear that the United States could also initiate proceedings against them.
International
Bogotá and Quito Seek Dialogue After Tariffs and Power Cut Escalate Tensions
Bogotá and Quito will hold an emergency bilateral summit next week amid recent developments that have strained relations between the two countries.
Tensions escalated this week after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa unexpectedly announced a 30% tariff on Colombian imports. Colombia responded with a reciprocal measure, imposing the same tariff on around 20 Ecuadorian products and suspending electricity exports to Ecuador.
Aware that electricity imports are critical to easing Ecuador’s recent energy crises, Quito further imposed a 30% tariff on the transportation of Colombian oil through its territory.
However, recent statements from the Ecuadorian government suggest that dialogue between the two sides has intensified in recent hours. Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabriela Sommerfeld, confirmed that active conversations are under way.
In Colombia, segments of the business sector have welcomed the prospect of negotiations. The National Business Council (Consejo Gremial Nacional, CGN), for instance, urged both governments to restore commercial relations, warning that the dispute “puts jobs and regional economic stability at risk.”
International
Trump-Era Defense Plan Prioritizes Border Security and Scales Back Global Commitments
The U.S. military will prioritize the defense of the homeland and the deterrence of China, while providing more limited support to its allies and elevating Latin America as a key focus of its agenda, according to a Pentagon strategic document released on Friday.
The 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS) represents a significant shift from previous Pentagon policies, both in its emphasis on allies assuming greater responsibility with reduced backing from Washington and in its more moderate tone toward traditional adversaries such as China and Russia.
“As U.S. forces focus on defending the homeland and the Indo-Pacific, allies and partners elsewhere will assume primary responsibility for their own defense, with crucial but more limited support from U.S. forces,” the document states.
The previous defense strategy, published during President Joe Biden’s administration, described China as Washington’s most consequential challenge and characterized Russia as an “acute threat.”
The new strategy, however, calls for maintaining “respectful relations” with Beijing and makes no reference to Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China and allied with the United States. It also describes the threat posed by Russia as “persistent but manageable,” particularly affecting NATO’s eastern members.
While both the Biden-era strategy and the Trump administration’s approach emphasize the importance of defending U.S. territory, they differ significantly in their assessment of the challenges facing the country.
The Trump administration’s NDS sharply criticizes the previous government for neglecting border security, arguing that this failure led to an “influx of illegal immigrants” and widespread narcotics trafficking.
International
Guatemala considers sending high-risk gang members to military prisons
Amid the escalating crisis in Guatemala’s prison system, the government is considering transferring high-risk gang members to military-run detention facilities, a move that analysts say could help address overcrowding and the lack of control in civilian prisons.
The debate has gained urgency following the killing of ten police officers by gang members, reportedly in retaliation after the government refused to meet demands made by Aldo Dupie Ochoa, alias “El Lobo,” leader of the Barrio 18 gang, which authorities identified as responsible for the attack.
Guatemala’s Minister of Defense, Henry David Sáenz, told local media that the possibility of relocating high-danger inmates to military brigades has not been formally discussed. However, he noted that the practice is not new to the Armed Forces and said it is something that “was already being done.”
One example is the detention center located within the Mariscal Zavala Military Brigade, in Zone 17 of Guatemala City, where several inmates are held under military supervision. The facility also houses high-profile detainees, including former official Eduardo Masaya, who faces corruption charges.
In 2015, a ministerial agreement authorized the establishment of the Zone Seventeen Detention Center within the brigade, with a maximum capacity of 114 inmates in Area A and 21 in Area B. The agreement specified that the facility would be used exclusively for civilians or military personnel considered at risk of assassination.
Additionally, since 2010, a prison has operated within the Matamoros Barracks in Zone 1 of Guatemala City, holding dangerous or high-profile inmates. However, media outlets have described these military detention centers as “VIP prisons,” particularly for former government officials such as ex-president Otto Pérez Molina.
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