Thursday, May 7, 2009

Past Scandal Returns to the Present

Carlos Ahumada, who was caught on video handing over stacks of cash to AMLO collaborators when AMLO was running Mexico City, now says that he was paid by Carlos Salinas, PAN presidential candidate Diego Fernández de Cevallos, and then-Interior Secretary Santiago Creel to set the video scandals up so as to damage AMLO.

This is one of those epic truth-stranger-than-fiction, nothing-is-too-outlandish Mexican scandals. Ahumada is a convicted felon, and blaming things on Salinas is a trusty fallback for Mexicans under the microscope. In short, he has zero credibility. At the same time, it really doesn't sound all that unlikely; the panistas were desperate for a way to derail AMLO, and Salinas' animus for the Tabascan is well known.

Update: Well, Fernández de Cevallos' response certainly makes you suspect that the allegations are true: 
I can tell you that in any case there would be 400 million euros that I owe him or if he prefers 400 million pesos in gold", he said in a joking tone, "I'm not going to enter this controversy, I'm calm, what I did I would do again.

"I've already stated it a thousand times and if he wants for any reason this book to a serve a purpose for him or for third parties, he has the right to do so", the politician assured.

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