International

Former official linked to Ayotzinapa case remanded in custody

Photo: Proceso

July 3 |

A Mexican federal judge prosecuted this Sunday for the crimes of torture and forced disappearance Gualberto Ramirez Gutierrez, who served as head of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Specialized Deputy Attorney General’s Office for Organized Crime Investigation (Seido) at the time of the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa normalistas, in September 2014.

The Criminal Justice Control Judge, Juan José Hernández Leyva, determined that Ramírez Gutiérrez was a co-perpetrator of these crimes to the detriment of Felipe Rodríguez Salgado, identified as an alleged hitman for the Guerreros Unidos criminal organization, which is accused of the disappearance of the 43 students.

In addition, he ratified his preventive detention, considering that there is a risk of flight and that Ramirez Gutierrez Gutierrez intimidates an official of the Seido who testified against him. On the other hand, the judge gave a term of six months for the complementary investigation of the charges against him.

Ramírez Gutiérrez was arrested last June 26 and shares the accusation with the former Attorney General, Jesús Murillo Karam (arrested) and with the former head of the Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) of the then Attorney General’s Office, Tomás Zerón (Mexico is trying to extradite him from Israel, where he fled).

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In addition to committing acts of torture, the judge considered that Ramírez Gutiérrez participated in illegal interrogations of Rodríguez Salgado in an illegal detention center operated by Tomás Zerón, who was based in the AIC facilities in the Lomas Sotelo neighborhood in the Mexican capital.

Amidst torture and beatings, Rodríguez Salgado was threatened with death there if he did not confess to having participated in the kidnapping and disappearance of the Ayotzinapa students. He remained in prison for four years and was finally acquitted of the charges.

After intense investigations, it has been determined that Ramírez Gutiérrez, Murillo Karam and Tomás Zerón participated in a meeting on October 7, 2014, in which they shaped the so-called “historical truth” of the Ayotzinapa case, according to which all the normalistas were incinerated in the landfill of Cocula, Guerrero state.

Subsequent investigations indicate that they lied to hide the truth from Mexican society and prevent justice from being done in a clear case of State terrorism, committed during the six-year term of office of former President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018).

In this regard, the Undersecretary of Human Rights, Population and Migration, Alejandro Encinas, valued that the arrest of Ramírez Gutiérrez represents an important step towards truth and justice.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.