International

López Obrador uses García Luna case to attack former presidents

Foto: EFE

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.

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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.

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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.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

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Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.