After AMLO lost the 2006 election, “La Barbie” planned to kidnap the president of the Electoral Tribunal.

A new “bomb” has been dropped on the government like a bucket of cold water President Andrés Manuel López Obrador It was revealed later Tuesday that Sinaloa cartel operators injected $2 million into the Tabasco native’s campaign when he first ran as a presidential candidate in 2006.

However, this has been revealed by independent media journalist Tim Golden ProPublica They also declare that drug traffickers Edgar Valdez Villarreal, aka “La Barbie”, Not only did he attend meetings to agree on financing, but he also planned to kidnap the president of the electoral court when they declared PAN member Felipe Calderón Hinojosa the winner over López Obrador.

Prior to his election as president of Mexico in 2018, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEAacronym in English) found evidence that important drug traffickers had contributed approximately $2 million to AMLO’s first presidential campaign.

According to ProPublica interviews with more than a dozen US and Mexican officials, as well as a review of government documents, the money is believed to be intended for campaign aides in exchange for future facilities in criminal operations under a potential administration. The then standard bearer of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). However, the investigation failed to establish whether López Obrador approved or even knew about the alleged donation.

According to the aforementioned media, DEA agents believed they had an extraordinary inside source after making the arrest. Roberto Lopez Najera, A lawyer who may have represented “La Barbie”, and who was a protected witness under the identity of “Jennifer“

To avoid federal prison, the detainee gave a detailed account of cash donations from drug traffickers, which he said he helped deliver. He also secretly recorded the conversation with him Nicholas Molinado BastarA close associate of López Obrador, who, according to the operation, participated in the scheme.

However, some authorities believed that the evidence was not strong enough to justify the risks of widespread covert operations in Mexico.

According to the research of ProPublicaAmong the characters involved in the negotiations were Nicolas Molinero and other AMLO associates who participated in the negotiations; Mauricio Soto Caballero, a businessman and political operator accused of receiving and distributing drug trafficking money for campaigns; Sergio Villarreal Barragán, “El Grande”, former state police officer and one of “La Barbie’s” lieutenants.

There are other main characters mentioned FRANCISCO LEON GARCIA, the son of a mining tycoon known as Pancho León, was then launching his candidacy for the Mexican Senate as a representative of the Left Alliance. The investigation named Leon as one of the individuals who organized a meeting with drug traffickers in January 2006 at a hotel in the tourist center of Nuevo Vallarta on the Pacific coast.

During this meeting, which was also attended by other businessmen and drug traffickers, Leone allegedly presented a financing proposal and benefits to drug traffickers.

Therefore, León’s role in these negotiations was to act as a bridge, proposing and facilitating agreements that would benefit both sides if López Obrador won the election.

This Agreement It included the possibility that traffickers would influence the election of police commanders in key areas and assurances that the president would not appoint an attorney general hostile to them.

Mexico’s 2006 presidential election ended with extremely close results. Felipe Calderon He was declared the winner by a margin of less than one percentage point over Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Calderon Hinojosa won by approximately 0.56 percent, which translated into a difference of about 240,000 votes in terms of votes. This very close result was accompanied by controversies and allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.

When AMLO did not win the 2006 presidential election, Edgar Valdez Villarreal’s reaction was angry. According to informant Roberto López Najera, “La Barbie” felt betrayed after the election results declared Felipe Calderon the winner by a narrow margin.

In response, “La Barbie” devised an improvised plan Abduction of Electoral Tribunal President, then Leonel Castillo Gonzalezwith a view to forcing him to withdraw the election decision.

A convoy of armed men was sent to carry out the abduction, but had to turn back when they found that the area was secured by army troops.

After the incident, and despite insisting he was the legitimate winner of the election, López Obrador organized a massive demonstration in Mexico City, during which La Barbi reportedly Funds donated To support opponents.

He Sitting on Paseo de la Reforma Started on July 30, 2006. This demonstration of discontent, marked by the establishment of camps along one of the most important thoroughfares of the capital, lasted for about 47 days, ending on September 14, 2006.

In late 2011, DEA agents proposed a scheme in which they would offer $5 million in alleged drug money to operatives working on López Obrador’s second presidential campaign. Instead, Justice Department officials closed the investigation, worried that even a successful prosecution would be seen by Mexicans as unacceptable American interference in their political affairs.

Since taking office in December 2018, winning his third bid for power, López Obrador has made a significant retreat from the fight against drugs, focusing on social programs to combat the sources of crime rather than directly confronting criminals. However, as police and military forces generally avoid confrontation with the largest drug-trafficking gangs, these mafias have spread their influence throughout Mexico.