A former Mexican border state governor facing election fraud charges will remain in jail after a judge denied bond. The arrest sparked controversy over allegations of political prosecution.
The case began earlier this week when authorities in Nuevo Leon arrested former governor Jamie “El Bronco” Rodriguez Calderon on state election fraud charges. A judge ordered Thursday that El Bronco would be held without bond. El Bronco allegedly used government time to collect 570 petition signatures from state employees during his 2018 bid for president.
During a morning news conference this week, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador weighed in on the case, stating his administration was not involved since it is not a federal prosecution.
“I always recommend to not use the law for political vengeance,” Lopez Obrador said. “You can’t fabricate crimes, and at the same time, there shouldn’t be any impunity.”
The Mexican president said the process should be transparent and that Nuevo Leon’s government should keep the public informed with transparent access to evidence.
“What I did not like,” he said, “And I say that because it affects people’s dignity, was the photographs they took of him. That is a NO.”
Lopez Obrador was referring to photographs of El Bronco taken from inside a prison during the booking and initial interview stages. The photographs show El Bronco in a vulnerable state and is a matter of honor and dignity, the president complained.
Luisana Moreno is a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.