Video of Ex-Michoacán Governor’s Son with a Cartel Leader Revives Corruption Accusations in Mexico · Global Voices
J. Tadeo

Screenshot of Rodrigo Vallejo (left) and Servando Gomez Martinez, “La Tuta” (right). Source: El Universal.
The governor of Michoacán de Ocampo, a Mexican state severely affected by the war declared on organized crime, resigned in June. At the time, speculation was rampant that the resignation was related to allegations of corruption made against the now ex-Governor Fausto Vallejo and his family.
Those accusations haven't died down. Beginning on July 28, 2014, various sources including leading newspapers El Universal and La Jornada published a video released by Mexican news agency Quadrantín that clearly showed Fausto Vallejo’s son ‘Gerber’ Rodrigo Vallejo seated at a table with Servando Gomez Martinez “La Tuta,” the leader of the criminal organization known as the “Knights Templar,” discussing issues of state governance in an apparent climate of mutual trust.
Former Governor Fausto Vallejo's reportedly resigned due to health issues, but links between he and his family, as well as his closest associates, to organized crime have been reported for a long time. Journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva from Milenio news agency, who has reported on the ex-governor's alleged corrupt ties, commented:
Lo dijeron, lo dijimos. Lo documentaron, lo documentamos. Michoacán era un narcoestado con un narcogobierno y los Templarios en el timón.
Acertaron, acertamos. Era un narcoestado. Era un narcogobierno. El primero plenamente documentado en la historia de México.
They said it, we said it. They documented it, we documented it. Michaocán was a narco-state with a narco-government with the Templars at the helm.
They got it, we got it. It was a narco-state. It was a narco-government. The first one completely documented in the history of Mexico.
On Twitter, user Carlos E Orozco referenced Vallejo's claim that his son was kidnapped in 2013; however, he never filed a criminal complaint regarding the alleged abduction:
Suena ridícula la versión de @faustovallejof sobre que su hijo Rodrigo Vallejo Mora fue secuestrado para “platicar” con La Tuta.
— CEO (@Carlos_EOrozco) July 30, 2014
Fausto Vallejo's version sounds ridiculous about his son Rodrigo Vallejo Mora being kidnapped for “chatting” with La Tuta (former governor Vallejo claims his son was kidnapped back in 2013 however, he never filed a criminal complaint regarding the alleged abduction).
Meanwhile, user Sonia Vargas recalled that Vallejo came to power through the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI, in Spanish), a political organization that seized control of the federal government for over 70 years until 2000:
#RodrigoVallejo Ni un voto más al PRI , bola de ladrones . http://t.co/UX8TpK6YdA
— Sonia Vargas (@Epitelia65) July 30, 2014
Not one more vote for the PRI, pack of thieves.
The account @NetasMx joked:
Rodrigo Vallejo… Otro capítulo mas de la exitosa serie: “La fabulosa vida de los hijos de los gobernadores mexicanos.”
— ❤ ¡Ay no mames! ❤ ❤ (@NetasMx) July 30, 2014
Rodrigo Vallejo…Another episode for the hit series: “The fabulous life of the children of the Mexican governors.”
We will have to closely monitor what authorities charged with obtaining justice will do in this case, since in Mexico it is common for people who are caught in the act on publicly disseminated video to regain their freedom in just a few weeks or never be prosecuted at all.