Mexico confirms talks with US over ex-defence minister’s arrest

-

 



Mexican president says foreign minister spoke to US attorney general about the arrest of Salvador Cienfuegos on US soil.

Mexico's then-secretary of national defense, General Salvador Cienfuegos, attends the 50th anniversary of the Plan of Assistance to the Population in case of Disaster in Mexico City, Mexico July 12, 2017 [Carlos Jasso/Reuters]
Mexico's then-secretary of national defense, General Salvador Cienfuegos, attends the 50th anniversary of the Plan of Assistance to the Population in case of Disaster in Mexico City, Mexico July 12, 2017. 

Mexico confirmed on Wednesday that its top diplomat, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, spoke to United States Attorney General William Barr about the arrest of former Mexican Secretary of National Defense and retired army general Salvador Cienfuegos on US soil.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said during a regular government news conference that Ebrard is in talks with Barr and that a diplomatic memo had been sent.

“It is true that a diplomatic memo was sent and it is true that there have been phone calls between the foreign minister and the United States attorney general on this issue,” said Lopez Obrador, without offering further details.

The announcement comes days after Reuters News Agency reported that Barr spoke with Ebrard last week to lower bilateral tension arising from the arrest of Cienfuegos, a top player in Mexico’s war on drug gangs until two years ago. The former army general was arrested in Los Angeles last month on drugs charges.

Mexico said it should have had prior warning about the arrest and investigation of Cienfuegos, who pleaded not guilty to the charges in a federal court in New York.

Lopez Obrador has said he will announce a review of security cooperation agreements with the US in light of the case.

Cienfuegos is accused of using the power of his office to help a relatively small drug gang, former allies of the Sinaloa Cartel, manufacture and ship drugs, including cocaine and heroin, to the US.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Petitioner-SARS officers threw me from two-storey building, broke my backbone

-
Image
A 34 year old general merchant, Mr Ndukwe Ekekwe, Tuesday, told the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of Special Ant-Robbery Squad (SARS) related abuses and other matters, that he broke his backbone after SAR officers threw him down from a two-storey building which resulted in him being confined in a wheelchair. Ekekwe told the panel that on February 16, 2018, he was at his shop at Alaba Rago, in Alaba International market, when he was arrested, by men of SARS, who handcuffed him. When he asked them to show their identification card, and that he wanted to know his offence, they started shooting and told him that the order was from the Inspector General (IG)of Police. The petitioner, who said he sells phone accessories and other things, said when he was arrested, he was trying to raise alarm, so that other people can see what was happening. The SARS operatives then called one Haruna Amaz and he told them to keep me busy. That was when they pushed me upsta
Read more

What COVID-19 reveals about educational inequality in Ghana

-
Image
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed stark inequalities in Ghana's educational system. Pupils gather around their teacher in class in Prestea, a mining town in southwest Ghana  Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, is looking for new ways to carry on teaching his students. He has no other choice. Ever since Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo ordered last month the indefinite closure of all schools to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, many of the country's higher educational institutions began exploring options in online learning. "I plan to use WhatsApp and Zoom to make the classes more interactive," said Opoku-Agyemang, who teaches literature courses at the Accra-based university's Department of English. "I will also be having guest artists and guest lecturers join in. The artists will use Instagram Live, while the guest lecturers will probably use Zoom." Yet, it won't
Read more