Mexican President Ignores Coronavirus Warnings, Shakes Hands with El Chapo's Mother
In the photo: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexican Drug Lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) received a tremendous amount of backlash following his visit to the mother of Mexico's most notorious drug lord despite the lockdown measures in the country.
AMLO visited "El Chapo's" 92-year-old mother in Badiraguato, Sinaloa less than a day after health authorities pleaded Mexico's citizens to stay inside their homes amid the COVID-19 threat.
The visit came after Loera Perez wrote a letter to the Mexican president. The letter allegedly contained the 92-year-old woman's plea where she asked AMLO for help in getting the United States to allow her to visit her son who is currently serving a life sentence in a Colorado prison.
A video showing the leftist president shaking hands with Maria Consuelo Loera Perez has made rounds on social media, sparking anger from citizens. The 30-second video also caught talking to the drug lord's lawyer, Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza.
María Consuelo Loera Pérez, madre "El Chapo" Guzmán, acudió a saludar al presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador en su visita a Badiraguato.
Vía @mileniotv pic.twitter.com/IOMhZfKBvs — Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) March 30, 2020
The Mexican president defended his action on Monday, calling Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's mother a "respectable lady." He claimed the "scandal" was the work of his critics and adversaries.
Obrador further defended his actions during the news conference when he told reporters part of his job requires shaking the hands of "white-collar criminals." He also advocated for the Loera's request, saying she should be allowed to visit "for humanitarian reasons."
Joaquin Guzman Loera, better known as the notorious Mexican drug lord "El Chapo", previously served as the head of the Sinaloa Cartel until he was extradited to the United States in 2017.
El Chapo entered the drug trade in his early teens and founded the infamous cartel in 1989 when he was 32. The cartel quickly grew an immensely profitable drug trade.
Guzman grew up in the rural town of Badiraguato. His early childhood years were filled with poverty and abuse under the hands of his violent father who was also in the drug trade.
El Chapo was kicked out of his home by his teens, leading him to walk the same path as his father after he started growing marijuana for cash.
He worked under another dealer, Hector Luis Palma Salazar, in 1970. Guzman was tasked with overseeing the drug operation in Sinaloa where narcotics flowed to coastal cities and into the US.
Joaquin started supervising logistics for the founder of the Guadalajara cartel in his late 20s. He became one of the most notorious drug dealers after his boss was arrested on murder charges.
He quickly overtook many drug cartels, extending his reach into South America and the United States in a few years.
He transported drugs through air-conditioned tunnels that ran under the Mexican-US border. He would also hide cocaine inside fire extinguishers and canned goods.
The Sinaloa cartel eventually grew to be the biggest drug operation in the world, transporting cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine to five continents.
Over the years, crimes linked to the cartel ballooned. Guzman's men allegedly committed more than a thousand murders throughout Mexico.
El Chapo was first arrested in 1993. Guatemalan authorities extradited him to Mexico where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Despite being behind bars, he maintained his power. He was able to arrange conjugal visits and even run his operation.
He escaped prison via a laundry cart in 2001 after bribing multiple prison guards. A federal investigation revealed 71 corrections personnel, including the warden, took part in the drug lord's escape plan.
He was arrested for the second time in 2014 in a hotel at Mazatlan, Mexico. Then-President Enrique Pena Nieto denied the request of American officials to have El Chapo extradited to the United States.
Guzman escaped prison, yet again, after 18 months behind bars. It was reported he had slipped through an opening in his cell's shower section and traveled through a tunnel network that led to a house a mile away from the corrections facility.
Mexican authorities captured Guzman for the third time in 2016 after a shootout ensued in the city of Los Mochis.
His captured came one day before a media site published his secret interview with Sean Penn. He was placed in a facility near the US border while awaiting trial.
His trial was filled with controversy. At one point, his lawyer claimed Guzman was a scapegoat for a man named Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. The trial also shed light on an alleged exchange between former Mexican President Nieto and El Chapo where the defense team claimed the government official accepted a bribe from the drug lord.
Another witness said the kingpin's 2015 prison escape was orchestrated by his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro.
On February 12, 2019, El Chapo was eventually found guilty and sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years after 200 hours of testimony.
On February 22, 2020, BBC News released rare footage showing El Chapo's time in prison. Watch it below:
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