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" López has started a hunt against me and against my family, so we had to flee to the United States, where we are actually living as refugees three months. We have suffered harassment, persecution and life-threats.
"We face a criminal established within the Power: Coward, corrupt... he is a serious menace to the Sonoran society which is not free of becoming a victim of his abuses in other aspects of human activity. What is happening to us today, tomorrow can happen to anybody."
Another horrible case of the corruption reigning within the PRI and the governments controlled by it. This information has been taken from the Proceso magazine. Facts are as follows:
José Hernández, General Director.
El Independiente.
July-October 1997 During his campaign after the State Government, Armándo López, candidate of the PRI, shows anxiety, eagerness to take over El Independiente, a local newspaper of political content.
November 1997 Armando López takes office as Governor of Sonora. Invites José Luis Hernández, owner of El Independiente to take a cup of coffe at his office at the State Government Palace. The new Governor tells him:I know you have rights and property of the newspaper. Check it out with your lawyer so you can keep it, I'll help you and later we become partners, as you wish
To which Hernández answersI don't want you nor the State Government, nor any businessman close to it as a money launderer to be partners of my newspaper, because it's not convenient, and it will loose credibility
June 17th, 1999 Another meeting, this time at the "Sonora Steak" restaurant at Hermosillo.
López - I propose yo to make El Independiente the biggest newspaper in the northwest to support my friend Francisco Labastida, who will be candidate of the PRI and President of Mexico.
Hernández - I refuse
López - I tell you this: Concerning the newspaper, whatever it takes, we are gonna do it.
September 3rd, 1999 First attempt to take over the diary: Two lawyers who claimed to be representing the newspaper La Voz de Sonora arrive to the El Independientebuilding with other 15 individuals, calining they were going to remove Hernández as the General Director of the diary. They fail.
September 7th, 1999 Second attept to take over the diary. As if they were going to capture a dangerous criminal, 50 judiciales policemen -famous because of their brutality- seize the offices of El Independiente, allegedly enforcing an order from a Judge.
That same day, judiciales and uniformed policemen surround Hernández's home and try to arrest him without showing any order from any judge.
Few days later, and after constant police harassment, Hernández had to leave Mexico with his wife and three children. He has asked for a political trial against Governor López in the Mexican Congress, but it is almost imposible to do anything against him, because he's a protegé of Francisco Labastida and President Zedillo. He's most likely to stay unpunished.
This article will stay independent till February 14. Then it will be included in the General Corruption Report