International
Governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa is separated from the meeting that resulted in the capture of ‘Mayo’ Zambada
The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, rejected any link with drug trafficking, as well as being part of an alleged meeting with Ismael ‘el Mayo’ Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, his former partner, which resulted in the capture of the capo by the US authorities.
“We have no complicity with anyone (…) therefore, if they said that I was going to be (at the meeting), then they lied, and if he believed them (May), then he fell into the trap,” said the governor, who spoke about the issue in the company of the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, who toured the state of Sinaloa.
His position is given after El Mayo made public a statement in which he maintains that he was ambushed by the son of the Mexican drug trafficker, Joaquín ‘el Chapo’ Guzmán, to be taken to the United States, after being called to a meeting to resolve “a dispute” with the governor of the state of Sinaloa and former congressman Héctor Melesio Cuén.
In addition, he asked President López Obrador for the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to attract the investigation of the murder of Cuén, who according to Zambada’s letter, would have been killed in the same place where he was kidnapped in May, contrary to the official versions.
The governor of Sinaloa pointed out that he would be “more satisfied” if an investigation were carried out with “greater impartiality,” so that “there are no suspicions of any nature.”
“We don’t want to be under suspicion, there’s no reason for that,” he insisted.
Regarding the alleged meeting he would attend, Rocha Moya clarified that he was never called to resolve any dispute, as held by May, since he even mentioned that he was out throughout July 25 and returned in the early hours of the following day.
In addition, he positioned that the problems of the state he leads are solved through the institutions of the Government, while he accused that he is sought to “force-force drug trafficking” for being originally from Badiraguato, the cradle of important Mexican drug lords such as El Chapo or Rafael Caro Quintero, among others.
He said that this is a stigma that is held on people from this town in northern Mexico and defended that, on the contrary, the people of Badiraguato and the state of Sinaloa “are good, hardworking people.”
He also considered that this type of case seeks to tarnish his image “and in passing” that of President López Obrador.
For her part, Claudia Sheinbaum said that support for Governor Rocha Moya will be maintained during her term, which will begin on October 1, as well as to her population in northern Mexico.
“Whoever wants to stigmatize this beautiful state, stay with its history, because men and women of Sinaloa are good Mexicans and Mexicans, men and women of work,” he said.
During the event, President López Obrador endorsed his support for the governor of Sinaloa, while congratulating him for “shiting his face” and not waiting a day to clarify Zambada’s alleged statements.
“We have all the confidence in the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, and I congratulate him because he shows his face he didn’t let a day go by,” he concluded.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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