Genaro Garcia Luna...one of Mexico's most corrupt...Forbes
Molly Molloy
Dolia Estevez, Contributor
I cover Mexico's billionaires, politics and U.S.-Mexico relations
LISTS | 12/16/2013 @ 2:40PM |357,486 views
The 10 Most Corrupt Mexicans Of 2013
Alarming levels of corruption in government, the judiciary and law-enforcement, earned Mexico the 2013 title of one of the two most corrupt countries in Latin America, according to the Global Corruption Barometer released in July by Transparency International, an anti-corruption nonprofit group. Mexico shares its rank with Argentina.
Elba Esther Gordillo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the group’s Global Corruption Barometer of 2013, Mexico’s political parties, police, legislature and judiciary were perceived as the most corrupt, with 91%, 90%, 83% and 80% negative views on corruption. The report, which is based on a survey of 114,000 people in 107 countries, offers a warning that the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery continue to ravage societies around the world. In Mexico corruption cases are rarely prosecuted.
A serious drag on Mexico’s development and a significant obstacle to Mexico achieving a functional democracy, corruption has long been a part of the country’s political culture. Carlos Hank González, the deceased founder of the powerfulGrupo Atlacamulco, which masterminded Enrique Peña Nieto’s run for president, once said: “A politician that is poor is a poor politician.” For many Mexican politicians, his motto became the Bible.
The following is a list of the 10 Mexicans perceived to be the most corrupt in 2013. I appreciate the input received from colleagues and academics during the process of compiling this list.
Elba Esther Gordillo Former teacher’s union leader known as La Maestra(the Teacher) was charged in February with embezzling $200 million from union funds to pay for her lavish lifestyle. She is notorious for her $5,000 Hermes bags and expensive plastic surgeries in California clinics. Three residences connected to Gordillo have been identified in California. The main one, where the now jailed teacher spent most of her time, is a $4.7 million house on a cul-de-sac in Coronado Cays that features a private dock with a boat and jet ski.
Carlos Romero Deschamps is the powerful Pemex workers union leader and one of the most notorious PRI members long suspected of influence-peddling for personal enrichment. Paulina Romero, his daughter, displays onFacebook her travels around the world in private jets –accompanied by her three English bulldogs Keiko, Boli and Morgancita– her voyages on yachts, dining in first class restaurants and sporting $12,000 Hermes luxury bags. Her brother drives a $2 million limited edition red Enzo Ferrari sport car, a gift from their father, whose trade union monthly salary is $1,864. Romero Deschamps, a federal senator, is reported to have a “cottage” in Cancun with a value close to $1.5 million. According to political analyst Denise Dresser, in 2011 he received $21.6 million for “aid to the union executive committee” and $15.3 million from union dues. My “hands are clean,” Romero Deschamps claims. The Peña Nieto administration seems to agree. He is not under investigation.
Raúl Salinas de Gortari is largely responsible for destroying his brother Carlos Salinas de Gortari’s presidential legacy by becoming a symbol of corruption and impunity. Raúl spent ten years in jail convicted of a high-profile political homicide, but was acquitted in 2005. In July, a Mexican judgeexonerated him on the final charge pending against him of “unlawful enrichment” and ordered $19 million dollars deposited in twelve bank accounts and 41 properties be returned to him. The decision outraged Mexicans. It was perceived as one more proof of abuse of power by Mexican elites.
Genaro García Luna was the powerful Secretary of Public Security (SSP) under the Calderón Administration. With the biggest budget assigned to his department and a blank check from Calderón, García Luna was the most feared cabinet member. His tenure was marked by an excess of spending for self-promotion and abuse of power scandals exposed by the Mexican press. In her book Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords and their Godfathers, award-winning journalist Anabel Hernandez links García Luna with the country’s top drug capos, including Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. García Luna allegedly threatened to have Hernandez killed. In 2012, convicted drug kingpin Edgar “La Barbie” Valdez Villareal claimed that García Luna had been on the payroll of drug trafficking groups for ten years. The Peña Nieto Administration dissolved the SSP. García Luna has not been seen since he left office in 2012. He is believed to be living in Miami but reporters havenot been able to find him. There is no known investigation against him in Mexico or the U.S.
[UPDATE Dec. 18: Genaro García Luna broke his one-year self-imposed silence in a December 17 letter to Steve Forbes to say that the “value judgments” about him in this article “are lies and they lack journalistic rigor.” He charges that the “source on which they are based is false.” The “source” he seems to be referring to is the book Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords and their Godfathers (Verso 2013), by award-winning Mexican journalist Anabel Hernandez. In the letter to Steve Forbes, the man in charge of conducting the bloody war on drugs during the Calderón administration lists medals and merits bestowed upon him by world governments and international organizations as proof of the results of his public performance. He claims that what he describes as “disinformation and discrediting campaigns” against him are due to his having “hurt drug trafficking and kidnapping structures” in Mexico.
García Luna’s “clarification letter” was reprinted in various Mexican media on Tuesday, hours after being sent to Forbes, under headlines such as García Luna, who has more than a year without appearing, accuses Forbes of lying and says he is not corrupt.” ]
Andrés Granier, former PRI governor of Tabasco, was arrested by Mexican federal law-enforcement in June on charges of corruption, embezzlement, tax evasion and money laundering. In a taped conversation leaked to the media, Granier bragged about owning 400 pairs of shoes, 300 suits and 1,000 shirts, bought from luxury stores in New York and Los Angeles. His yearly salary as governor was $92,000. His successor discovered that $190 million was missing from state coffers. He was also indicted by the Tabasco authorities. He denies any wrongdoing.
Tomás Yarrington is a former PRI governor of Tamaulipas. He was indicted in early December on racketeering and money laundering charges in Texas. Yarrington allegedly took large bribes from major drug trafficking groups in Tamaulipas, including the Gulf Cartel, in return for letting them operate freely during his administration (1999-2004). Yarrington’s lawyers say that the charges are based on false accusations by people trying to bargain with U.S. prosecutors. The U.S. has not asked Mexico for his arrest and extradition. His whereabouts are unknown.
Humberto Moreira is the former PRI governor of Coahuila state. During his administration (2005-2011), the debt of the state increased from $27 million to $2.8 billion, creating the state’s worst financial crisis in history. The debt scandal forced Moreira’s resignation. Jorge Torres López, who took over as an interim governor, was charged with conspiracy to launder money and other financial crimes in Texas in November. Moreira has not been charged. He is living with his family in an upscale neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, while earning a masters degree.
Fidel Herrera, former PRI governor of Veracruz. Under his administration (2004-2010) the Zeta cartel’s criminal activities thrived. Allegations about his connections to the Zetas emerged during a trial in April in Texas. An FBI agent testified that Francisco Colorado Cessa, a contractor for Mexico’s state oil company Pemex, acted as an intermediary between Herrera and a founding member of the Zetas. Colorado Cessa was convicted. Herrera allegedly was bribed into allowing the Zetas to operate freely. Herrera has denied the allegations and is not under investigation in Mexico. There are unconfirmed reports that he may be sent as ambassador to Greece.
Arturo Montiel, former Mexico state PRI governor, uncle of Peña Nieto and member of the Grupo Atlacamulco, is accused by French citizen Maudi Versini, his former wife, of kidnapping their three children. Versini, who has custody over the children, claims that justice has been manipulated by her ex-husband to prevent her from seeing them. Montiel dropped out of the 2005 presidential race following allegations of millionaire mansions and bank transactions in Mexico and France. He is not under investigation.
Alejandra Sota, former President Calderon’s spokesperson, is beinginvestigated by Mexican authorities for alleged embezzlement and trafficking of influence. She is suspected of favoring friends and former classmates with government contracts during the time she served as a top government official. She is currently attending graduate school at Harvard’s Kennedy School even though she has no college degree.
Twitter: @DoliaEstevez
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post refers to Mexico’s ranking on Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer, issued in July. It does not refer to Mexico’s ranking on Transparency International’s 2013 Corruptions Perceptions Index, released in early December, in which Venezuela was ranked as Latin America’s most corrupt country.
This article is available online at:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/doliaestevez/2013/12/16/the-10-most-corrupt-mexicans-of-2013/
Obama Administration Officials ‘Danced’ With One of Forbes’ ‘Top 10 Most-Corrupt Mexicans’
I think we can all agree that recently-departed Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and current Attorney General Eric Holder have done very little to secure the nation’s southern border and prevent illegal immigrants, drugs and all manner of trouble from entering the country. One day soon, I predict they might try to pin the blame on someone most Americans won’t recognize — and it’s not George W. Bush. His name is Genaro García Luna, and Obama Administration officials have been “dancing” with him for years.
In this March 1, 2012, photo, Deputy U.S. Attorney General James M. Cole (right) is shown with then-Mexican Secretary of Public Security Genaro Garcia Luna.
Who is García Luna? According to a Forbes article published yesterday, Mexico’s one-time Secretary of Public Security (SSP),García Luna ranks among the Top 10 Most-Corrupt Mexicans of 2013. Excerpts from the magazine article appear below:
…García Luna was the most feared cabinet member. His tenure was marked by an excess of spending for self-promotion and abuse of power scandals exposed by the Mexican press.
In 2012, convicted drug kingpin Edgar “La Barbie” Valdez Villareal claimed that García Luna had been on the payroll of drug trafficking groups for ten years.
García Luna has not been seen since he left office in 2012. He is believed to be living in Miami but reporters have not been able to find him. There is no known investigation against him in Mexico or the U.S.
The Obama Administration began dancing with García Luna during the early days of President Obama’s first term, according to documents found online.
A Department of Justice news release July 20, 2009, reveals how then-Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said, “We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our brave Mexican colleagues in the fight against these destructive cartels,” immediately after mentioning García Luna by name.
A DHS news release Feb. 18, 2010, began with then-Secretary Napolitano gushing about the “Declaration of Principles on Cooperative Efforts to Secure the U.S.-Mexico Border and Combat Transnational Threats” before affording García Luna the opportunity to return the favor as follows:
“This agreement is an example of the cooperation and mutual understanding regarding security issues between both countries, and between DHS and SSP,” said Secretary García Luna. “The working visit of Secretary Napolitano is a consequence of the strong relationship between both institutions, and of their commitment with the rule of law, and the fight against organized crime and violence.”
Finally, a Drug Enforcement Agency news release July 21, 2011, included tough-sounding words attributed to García Luna:
“Through the Secretariat of Public Security, the Government of Mexico has seen increased results in their fight against the drug trafficking organizations,” said Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security Genaro García Luna. “Due to increased information sharing and collaboration with the DEA, these efforts have resulted in successful and significant arrests and seizures of drugs and money.”
After considering the items above, I’m left wondering just how closely Obama Administration officials might have danced with García Luna and if they’re dancing with any other corrupt Mexican officials today.
I suppose we’ll just have to turn on our television sets and watch the nightly news to find out. <sarc>
García Luna desestima lista de más corruptos de Forbes
El Universal | 2013-12-18 | 14:19
Distrito Federal– El ex secretario de Seguridad Pública, Genaro García Luna, aseguró que los señalamientos de la revista “Forbes” sobre corrupción durante su gestión son "mentiras" y "carecen del rigor periodístico".
El ex secretario envió una carta a la publicación en la que cuestionó las fuentes de la nota periodística "los 10 mexicanos más corruptos del 2013", en la que se afirmó que García Luna "se caracterizó por un exceso de gasto para la auto-promoción y escándalos de abusos de poder denunciados por la prensa mexicana".
En el documento, García Luna dijo que "sería ingenuo no esperar reacciones de los intereses afectados de estas organizaciones delictivas que buscan lucro e impunidad en sus crímenes contra la sociedad. En su momento, ante el Congreso de la Unión, la más alta tribuna parlamentaria de mi país comparecí y bajo juramento de ley, desmentí las calumnias en mi contra".
En la nota, se relacionaba al ex mando policiaco con cárteles de la droga y capos como Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, líder del cártel de Sinaloa, y a Edgar Valdez Villareal, "La Barbie".
Además, García Luna recordó las condecoraciones internacionales que recibió en el sexenio pasado por su desempeño.
"Por los resultados de mi desempeño en el combate al crimen organizado, secuestro y terrorismo, también he sido condecorado con distinciones en España con la Orden del Mérito Policial Distintivo Rojo, en Estados Unidos de Norteamérica por la Oficina Federal de Investigación (FBI), el Departamento de Seguridad Interior (Homeland Security) y la Oficina Antidrogas DEA; además por la Organización Internacional de Policía Criminal (INTERPOL) con el Distintivo Plata", puntualizó en su carta.
García Luna se mantuvo casi un año fuera de la escena pública, hasta ahora.
Forbes atribuye a García Luna exceso de gastos para auto-promoción, escándalos y abusos de poder. ARCHIVO
- Afirma que la publicación carece del rigor periodístico propio de su revista
La revista estadounidense lo señala como uno de los 10 mexicanos más corruptos en una de sus ediciones
Desde el inicio de la Presidencia de Enrique Peña Nieto, García Luna no ha hecho apariciones públicas. Al final su gestión al frente de la desaparecida Secretaría de Seguridad Pública federal, cambió su residencia a una zona exclusiva de Miami, Florida, donde tiene una red de negocios relacionados con seguridad privada.
La última vez que fue visto el ex Jefe de Policía Federal fue el pasado 20 de abril en el Café La Habana, ubicado en Bucareli esquina Morelos, Ciudad de México. El ex Secretario llegó al establecimiento y se reunió por alrededor de 10 minutos con José Antonio Polo Oteyza, quien fuera coordinador de asesores del titular de la SSP federal.
García Luna no ha respondido a cuestionamientos hechos por mexicanos, entre ellos las víctimas (como Javier Sicilia) de las políticas de seguridad que él instrumentó y a las que se atribuye la muerte de entre 60 mil y 90 mil mexicanos; la desaparición de otros 27 mil, el desplazamiento de decenas miles a causa de la violencia y la expansión, por todo el territorio, de distintas actividades del crimen organizado como la extorsión y el secuestro.
Ahora García Luna dirigió una carta a Steve Forbes en la que manifiesta “que el juicio de valor que hace [la publicación], son mentiras y carecen del rigor periodístico propio de su revista, los argumentos de la fuente en la que se sustenta son falsos”.
Forbes en su artículo “Los 10 Mexicanos más Corruptos de 2013” indica que el mandato de García Luna “se caracterizó por un exceso de gasto para la auto-promoción y escándalos de abusos de poder denunciados por la prensa mexicana”.
“Genaro García Luna fue el poderoso Secretario de Seguridad Pública (SSP ), bajo la administración Calderón. Con el mayor presupuesto asignado a su departamento y un cheque en blanco de Calderón, García Luna era el miembro del gabinete más temido Su mandato se caracterizó por un exceso de gasto para la auto-promoción y escándalos de abusos de poder denunciados por la prensa mexicana. En su libro, “Los señores de las drogas de México y sus padrinos”, la galardonada periodista Anabel Hernández relaciona a García Luna con los principales capos de la droga del país, entre ellos Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, líder del cártel de Sinaloa. García Luna presuntamente amenazó a Hernández de muerte. En 2012, el narcotraficante convicto Édgar ‘La Barbie’ Valdez Villareal dijo que García Luna había estado en la nómina de los grupos de narcotraficantes desde hace diez años. La Administración Nieto Peña disolvió la SSP. García Luna no ha sido visto desde que dejó el cargo en 2012. Se cree que está viviendo en Miami, pero los periodistas no han sido capaces de encontrarlo. No hay ninguna investigación conocida en su contra en México o en los EU”, dice la breve reseña sobre el ex mando policial.
Al respecto, García Luna indica que durante 24 años ha servido al país en las áreas de Seguridad nacional y Seguridad Pública. En ese tiempo, afirma que afectó los intereses de las estructuras del narcotráfico y secuestro, motivo por el cual ha sido objeto de campañas de desinformación y desprestigio.
“Sería ingenuo no esperar reacciones de los intereses afectados de estas organizaciones delictivas que buscan lucro e impunidad en sus crímenes contra la sociedad. En su momento, ante el Congreso de la Unión, la más alta tribuna parlamentaria de mi país comparecí y bajo juramento de ley, desmentí las calumnias en mi contra”, responde Luna a las acusaciones.
Asimismo presume en la misiva las condecoraciones internacionales que recibió cuando estuvo al frente de una de las dependencias que estuvieron al frente de la estrategia implementada por Calderón en su combate contra el narcotráfico.
“Como testimonio oficial internacional de más de dos décadas de trabajo profesional en el combate sistemático a las estructuras criminales, me permito señalar que siendo Secretario de Seguridad Pública Federal, en la Cumbre Mundial Antidrogas, la presidenta fundadora dela Conferencia Internacional para el Control de Drogas (IDEC) y actual administradora de la Agencia Antinarcóticos de Estados Unidos, Michelle M. Leonhart me entregó un reconocimiento internacional de los países miembros de IDEC por el combate a la delincuencia organizada en particular narcotráfico. De igual forma el Gobierno de Colombia me distinguió con la “Medalla al Merito Categoría Excepcional” previo a la conclusión de mi responsabilidad como Secretario de Estado”, dice la réplica del ex funcionario calderonista.
Y agrega: “Por los resultados de mi desempeño en el combate al crimen organizado, secuestro y terrorismo, también he sido condecorado con distinciones en España con la Orden del Mérito Policial Distintivo Rojo, en Estados Unidos de Norteamérica por la Oficina Federal de Investigación (FBI), el Departamento de Seguridad Interior (Homeland Security) y la Oficina Antidrogas DEA; además por la Organización Internacional de Policía Criminal (Interpol) con el Distintivo Plata”.
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