“What I can say is that there was an agreement, and due to that agreement, which we still do not know what it consisted of, under what conditions the agreement was made, it caused us in Sinaloa the confrontation that is taking place, which I hope because we are acting that soon there will be a return to normality”.
“I believe that they had been working on this for some time and they reached an agreement, in fact, they themselves have accepted, the Justice Department,” he said.
When asked if the case of García Luna is related to this agreement with the US authorities, AMLO pointed out:
“Yes, there is an interrelationship because before (previous governments) did not ask permission (US) for anything, then they went to the extreme that they trained in the United States, elements of the Navy to apply the policy of the US government in Mexico, in matters of security, from the US embassy they gave instructions so that the Mexican Army would act, it is public knowledge”.
AMLO considers the implementation of the operation for the surrender or capture of ‘El Mayo’ Zambada to be incorrect.
“It cannot be correct (the operation) because they murdered people, it was totally illegal and agents from the Justice Department (in the US) were waiting for Mr. ‘Mayo’, first there was violence, there were some people who lost their lives, well the former rector (Héctor Melesio Cuén) of the University (UAS) and then the aftermath of what is happening now (in Sinaloa),” he answered to a specific question.
“Of course the loss of a life is the saddest and most regrettable thing, but in their conception that life is not worth anything, what benefits, how does it (Zambada’s arrest) help to stop the problem of drug addiction in the United States? In other words, with objectivity, with realism,” he questioned, reiterating that in the neighboring country the causes of drug addiction are neglected.
López Obrador recalled Julio Scherer’s interview, in which ‘El Mayo’ assured that if he was captured or killed, there would be another to replace him, so the drug trafficking problem would not end.
López Obrador expects more information and ‘an explanation’ from the US on the arrest of ‘El Mayo’ Zambada
Previously AMLO was asked about the pending report with the details of the agreement for the arrest of ‘El Mayo’ Zambada.
To this, the chief executive stated that they are still waiting for the report from the U.S. government.
“It is that the Attorney General’s Office (General of the Republic) has not received all the information on this matter, they made an agreement and did not inform us, and according to the Attorney General’s Office the Justice Department was carrying out with one of the crime groups in Sinaloa, and they had agreements, they even released or gave a different status to one of the detainees (Ovidio Guzman) in the United States, at the same time they took another character (Zambada Garcia),” he explained.
“And that requires an explanation, because if we are now facing an unstable situation of confrontation in Sinaloa, it is because they made that decision and we do not agree that Mexico should be ignored, because we have the problem here,” he accused.
“Of course we are facing it, we are solving it, but in Sinaloa there was not the violence that there is now, nor is it as it is thought that it is completely out of control,” he insisted.
“But we have had to take special measures and move elements of the Armed Forces, and we have also lost officers who have been killed because of this special, extraordinary situation, because it is not the same when the Mexican state intervenes as when there is a completely irregular matter, when someone is kidnapped through an agreement and taken to the United States,” he explained.
AMLO questions the motives of the agreement for the delivery of ‘El Mayo’ and Joaquín Guzmán
The federal president questioned the real reason for the agreement that led to the capture of ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán.
“That (the implementation of the operation) does not convince us and we are asking for information, what was the agreement? And the cause to see that some people are of course dedicated to drug trafficking and the others as well,” he commented.
“And thinking about it this way, if it is really to avoid drug trafficking and that fentanyl continues to enter from Mexico, as it enters from Canada as it also enters directly to the United States, but let’s see if it was that or if it was a decision taken as always, to demonstrate that the problem of fentanyl consumption is being taken care of just for propaganda,” he argued.
“What about us, the situation in Mexico?” he questioned.
“We don’t see a plan that addresses the causes,” he said in reference to the drug addiction crisis in the United States.
He took the opportunity to reiterate the comparison of traditions in Mexican and U.S. families in terms of children in their youth.
AMLO assures that there is a respectful relationship with the U.S.
“In the case of the United States the relationship has to be good, for geopolitical reasons, because of the border 3,180 kilometers, 40 million Mexicans live, work for hours in the United States (sic) are sending to their brothers in Mexico 65 billion dollars, it is the main source of income in our country,” he said.
“We have to maintain a relationship of respect, of good neighborliness with the United States, the only thing is that it is understood that we are an independent country”, he stated.
