Before entering his office, I hear a laugh from him.
A photograph has just appeared in which the governor of Morelos, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, is next to three criminal bosses.
A narcomanta has just appeared in which he is accused of receiving money, doing illegal business with water, and being involved in the murder of activist Samir Flores. This has spread like wildfire.
The governor insists that he does not know when or where the photo was taken. “He is a soccer idol, he portrays himself with many people”, is the explanation that his team crushes over and over again.
The Diocese of Cuernavaca says the photo was taken in Yautepec, in December 2018, at the mass dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Blanco’s team insists: “The Diocese was wrong. The photo is before he was governor ”.
It’s 9:30 in the morning. In the Cuernavaca government house, Cuauhtémoc looks fresh, relaxed, smiling. I ask him if he is not worried. “A little, for my family, but he who owes nothing fears nothing,” he says. Take possession of your desk. That’s where the conversation happens.
The photo and the narcomanta. Where do they come from?
—Of the narcopoliticians who want to destabilize the state and my government.
Who are these so-called narcopoliticians?
“I can’t say names.” Now there is an investigation.
In the attorney general’s office?
-Yes. I have commented on it since I arrived as governor: there are narco-politicians, there are municipal presidents who are being threatened by these characters.
The banners claiming that you have some kind of nexus with organized crime appeared in Oaxtepec and Cuautla. Does this mean anything? Why do you think the people who put them up chose these places?
-I can not explain. Maybe it is closer to them, it gives them more peace of mind and security to put them there. Narcomantas make me laugh, because imagine, they say they even gave me money to buy clothes. Nor that he had no money to buy it. These are things that will continue to happen. They are going to keep giving me blankets and I’m not worried. It is a dirty war, because that is how politics is managed here, but I am not going to remain silent. I have always been a person who goes in front with anyone; I am not going to cover up what previous governments did. They agreed with drug trafficking and I am not going to agree with them.
There is a version that this photo with the crime leaders comes from the phone of a person who was arrested in Oaxtepec: Esther Yadira Huitrón, sister of the state president of the Progressive Social Networks Party. Do you know the person?
—No.
Did she take it?
“No, I don’t know her.” They take a lot of photos of me… I’ve said it many times, even when I was playing in Culiacán, I took photos with people from Culiacán, but I didn’t know them. I take photos with anyone.
When we go to restaurants or events, I take photos with whoever I want; I’m not going to ask them their criminal record or what they do. I’ve always been kind, and I’m going to tell you an anecdote. Hugo Sánchez handed out his postcards and I told him: “What people want is a photograph, not a postcard.” But I’m going to keep taking photos without knowing them. La Patrona, this one that you say, I don’t know her, nor did I know who she was until we had her investigated.
But neither the Navy nor the FGR gave you information that they were going to arrest this person. It was a secret operation.
“Well, a lot of information can be leaked.” Remember that there are many people, both judges and police, who are involved in drug trafficking. So, we must be very careful. It seemed perfect that they didn’t mention anything.
Previous governors of Morelos have indicated that at some point there was an attempt at rapprochement, or several, by organized crime. Happened to him?
-No. They have never gotten close. Since we are in the administration, I have been in front against them, I have not made a pact with the drug traffickers. I remember Graco Ramírez, who agreed with them, there are videos, audios that his security commissioner also agreed with El Carrete (leader of Los Rojos).
There are politicians, governors who say that it is impossible to govern without sitting down with those gentlemen. Is it possible to govern Morelos without sitting with them?
-It’s possible. If you want, you can. It is being able.
You had no idea that those three people you took pictures with were priority targets of justice?
“Imagine, if I had any idea that they were priority targets, do you think I’m going to sit with them?” That photograph, I have already told various media, was from when I was municipal president.
In any case, at that time they were already very important figures of organized crime.
“I didn’t know them.” If I had known them, I would notify the authority.
It strikes me that the photo was obviously not taken in a public place. It comes from an enclosed space and there is a Last Supper carved out of wood behind it. Do you have any ideas, any memories of where it was taken?
-Really I do not remember. But I mention to you, if they were objective, in this administration they were arrested. There is a person who is still free, and we are going to go for him.
The one who is still free is this man who is nicknamed La Tripa, Homero Figueroa Meza …
“He’s a very dangerous character and we’re after him.” Look, here are the priority targets we’ve stopped [muestra un documento con rostros que traen encima un sello que dice: “Abatido” o “Detenido”]. We are missing two of the most wanted, Abel Maya and El XL or El Señorón.
The Tripa itself is then a priority objective.
—It’s a goal, with Abel Maya and El XL.
Do you think then that this narcomanta was not put up by criminals, but by political groups that seek to hit your government?
“That’s right, I’m very sure, I’m very sure.”
Won’t more photos of you appear next to them?
“I don’t think so, and if they appear, I hope many more will appear.” Not with them, but with others, because I am a public person, and I am not going to make anyone ugly.
Local media and journalists have talked about illegal businesses with the Cuernavaca Potable Water and Sewerage System, something that is mentioned in the narcomanta. Was a concession granted for that system to be exploited by a criminal group?
“Not that I knew of to date.” With the one she just dated, supposedly yes [Francisco Villalobos Adán]. That everyone knows
And when you were?
“When I was there, no.” On the contrary, the debt of the system was lowered. I have never agreed with anyone.
You once said that the Morelos prosecutor, Uriel Carmona, knows who killed the activist Samir Flores and does not say so out of fear …
“Well, we’ve been there for three years.” He knows who it was.
Do you know who it was?
“I don’t know who it was.”
Why do you know that he does?
“Because that’s what they told me.” That the lord knows who murdered Samir.
What is the origin of the conflict between the Cuauhtémoc Blanco government and the state prosecutor’s office?
“That he doesn’t go to work.” We have 95% impunity in the state. Since I came to the government, I commented to him: “I don’t want to wear the stars, put them on yourself, but you have to work hand in hand.” Same as the anti-corruption prosecutor. There are like 60, 70 investigation files against Graco Ramírez officials and against him as well, and nothing has happened, because he shielded himself from these prosecutors. There is tremendous impunity. He knows that if at any moment one of the prosecutors comes out, there is no going back, all the secretaries go to jail, along with Graco Ramírez.
Hugo Eric Flores, founder of the Solidarity Encounter Party (PES), also appears on the blanket. He is a politically close character to you. They remind him that it was the Church that united him with criminal groups and suggests that the witness to that encounter was Hugo Eric. What would you say about this?
“That the intention is to scrub.” Hugo Eric has nothing to do with it. Finally, he is a Christian, I am a Catholic. Nothing to see here. They want to destabilize both the party and me, but they are not going to achieve it. That they show how we are involved in drug trafficking. I have no fear. Let the FGR investigate.
Not thinking of asking for a license or resigning as this is being investigated?
—No.
Should not?
“No, because I have nothing to do with it.” Many will want that, but I have never thought about it.
It has in Morelos a figure of more than a thousand murders in 2021. It is one of the highest in seven years. How do you explain this spike in violence? What would you say to your governed in light of these figures?
—Well, I have told many people and businessmen that it is a fight between two gangs. Those of Abel Maya and El XL. So, as we have detained several characters, the cartels have been distributed in the state. There were 15 groups. Right now we have an approximate of nine. They are fighting among themselves, but the collateral victims are very low.
Speaking of Graco Ramírez, you once pointed out that you had a relationship with Federico Figueroa, whom you have linked to criminal groups.
-None.
Do you know it?
“I’ve known him for a long time, but no formal relationship.” I met Joan Sebastian. I found him in a palenque and up to there.
What is the outlook, what are the expectations of the state, with the political class, as you say, contaminated by organized crime?
Difficult complicated. Not only is the police involved, there are judges, politicians who have allowed this; The mayor is also threatened and they are even paid campaigns to gain space.
How many municipalities would be in that situation?
—Like 16. I have told the presidents: “If they threaten you, report it.” But nobody wants because they can go for them. So, why do they become deputies or municipal presidents? It will be a tough fight, but I can’t back down. We are waiting for the reaction of the federal government, to investigate what we have given them.
Do you consider that you head an honest government, with reliable officials? Aren’t we going to get a surprise later? There was even an investigation at the FIU …
-No. There is no corruption here. With the FIU they found nothing. It is a friendly fire because it does not suit them for a footballer to come to power and it hurts these politicians that one is doing things well.
In the national ranking, your government is one of the worst evaluated …
“Well, ask the people.” Because you know that there are many surveys that pay.
Does this photo and this narcomanta represent your greatest crisis as a politician?
-Not at all. The biggest was when Graco invented a murder on me. I was about to go to jail. They paid a murderer to declare that I had given him a million pesos. Then he declared that some lawyers had forced him, who I know were from Graco and some characters we know as the Yáñez. This from the photo, believe me it has me very calm.
How does Cuauhtémoc Blanco see himself in three years? Will he continue in politics?
-I dont know. Right now I only think about these three years. Probably yes, probably not. I would also love to be the coach of América one day or be a coach of the national team.
– .
