Mexican drug lord's escape sinks Pe帽a Nieto's credibility
| Mexico City
The escape of Mexico鈥檚 most prominent drug trafficker from a maximum-security prison on Saturday is a major blow to President Enrique Pe帽a Nieto.
The president was already struggling with the lowest presidential approval ratings in nearly two decades. His administration has faced scandals ranging from the disappearance of 43 students in southern Guerrero State to allegations of a sweetheart real-estate deal between the president鈥檚 wife and a government contractor.
The capture in February 2014 of Joaquin 鈥淓l Chapo鈥� Guzman was a rare bright spot for the president that highlighted cooperation between Mexican security forces and the US. And putting Mr. Guzman, who ran one of Mexico鈥檚 most sophisticated drugs trafficking organizations, behind bars was considered a sign of progress. Now his escape has damaged what credibility remained for the administration with three years left in office.
鈥淭he capture of Guzman was a huge win for Enrique Pe帽a Nieto,鈥� says Jorge Chabat, a drug war and security expert at Mexico City鈥檚 Center for Research and Teaching in Economics. 鈥淏ut his escape is far worse than had he never been captured in the first place.鈥�
After last year鈥檚 capture of Guzman, who in 2001 slipped out of a Mexican prison in a laundry basket, Mr. Pe帽a Nieto ruled out a repeat, telling a reporter that it would be 鈥渦nforgiveable鈥� and that it was 鈥渁n obligation of the state鈥� to prevent another such breakout.
The government declined to have Guzman extradited to stand trial in the US. At the time, former Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said that, 鈥渢he risk does not exist鈥� of Guzman escaping again.聽
Authorities said Monday that a manhunt was underway around the jail, located outside Mexico City and supposedly the country鈥檚 most secure facility. At least 30 prison officials are being questioned over the breakout. Guzman escaped via a mile-long tunnel accessed from his cell鈥檚 shower that emerged in a house outside the prison walls.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure how they can recover from this, but the next few days will be key,鈥� says Mr. Chabat. Pledging improvements to Mexico鈥檚 prisons or security system may fall on tin ears since any proposed changes will have likely been suggested 鈥� or promised 鈥� in the past.聽
Mexico鈥檚 struggles with corruption and the rule of law are longstanding and predate the rise of multibillion-dollar drug-trading syndicates like Guzman鈥檚. While it has made small strides in some states in terms of strengthening the judiciary and reforming police, nationwide there is a lot of work to be done.
鈥淢exican public opinion already perceives that there鈥檚 collusion between the armed forces and organized crime,鈥� says Armand Peschard-Sverdrup, senior associate for the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 鈥淭his only fuels that perception, whether it鈥檚 merited or not."
