Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador lashed out at the U.S. government, calling its agencies immoral for allowing three news outlets to publish a series of exposés detailing how the Sinaloa Cartel funneled millions into his 2006 failed presidential campaign.
In separate but connected news articles, Pro-Publica, Insight Crime, and the German news outlet GW.com published separate stories by Tim Golden and Anabel Hernandez, where each reported on a DEA investigation into how the Sinaloa Cartel had funneled millions into Lopez Obrador’s failed presidential bid. The criminal organization funneled cash to all of the candidates to hedge their bets and have friends in power regardless of the outcome.
In their report, both Golden and Hernandez explain in detail how, through their top lieutenants with the Beltran Leyva organization, including Edgar “La Barbie” Villarreal, the Sinaloa Cartel sent between $2-5 million in cash to Lopez Obrador’s campaign. The information in the publication matches witness testimony from the 2019 trial of Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, where top witnesses stated that money had been funded into presidential campaigns, including AMLO’s, Breitbart Texas reported.
In the story by Hernandez, she claimed that Lopez Obrador spoke on the phone directly with La Barbie to thank him for a donation and asked for his help in reducing violence once elected.
Lopez Obrador ran for president a total of three times, failing in the first two bids until he was successful in 2018 for a six-year term. This summer, Mexico will hold its 2024 presidential elections, where the Morena party founded by Lopez Obrador is one of the favorites.
On Tuesday, a furious Lopez Obrador used his morning news conference to respond to the claims — calling the stories slanderous.
“I don’t denounce the journalists, I don’t denounce the outlets,” Lopez Obrador said. “I denounce the United States Government for allowing these immoral practices.”
In dismissing the stories, Lopez Obrador said they were timed and coordinated as attacks on himself by those opposed to his government at a time when political campaigns are in full swing in Mexico.
Lopez Obrador’s press secretary, Jesus Ramirez Cuevas, pointed to the coordination of the stories and the timing, adding that there was no proof that implicated the president.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.