Reforma
September 29, 1999
René Gardner

TIJUANA/ BAJA CALIFORNIA -- The Governor of Southern Baja California, Leonel Cota Montaño, denounced that at least 40 million pesos [US$4 million] were diverted from the Financial Secretariat of Southern Baja California during the period in office of the 'priista' Guillermo Mercado in support of prior PRI electoral campaigns.

A few days after finishing a general audit on the previous Government, the South Baja Californian mandate gave assurances in a press conference that now with the financial irregularities of the previous administration so plainly confirmed, they are preparing the way for the prosecution of those responsible for the divertion of resources.

"The audit demonstrates that from December 28, 1998 to February 8, 1999, the period of the political campaign, the government financed the PRI campaign with up to 40 million pesos [US$4 million], and we have all the bank documents to prove this," indicated Cota Montaño, who won the election heading the PRD-PT coalition.

"Of this amount, 23.6 million pesos [US$2.4 million] were sent from the (state) Financial Secretariat to various banks and from there to the Finance Secretariat of the PRI in Querétaro, in order to then be returned to the PRI campaign in Southern Baja California".

Although it was first thought that the amount of money diverted by the PRI Government in support of Antonio Manríquez was in the region of 17 million pesos [US$1.7 million], the audit just carried out reveals a far greater diversion of resources.

Up until now it has not been known if resources were diverted from other offices for the same purpose.

Cota Montaña adds that "we are determining this by means of these audits, and although some groups in the state have acted with some desperation in the sense that we are shutting the book on this aspect of the audits, the truth is that the Government should act with much prudence".

The ex-PRI mayor of La Paz indicated that this investigation is not being carried out as a witch hunt nor with a vengeful attitude, but as part of the campaign pledge he himself made to clean up the corruption within the state administration, given that this is one of the biggest complaints of society..

"The application of the law does not have friends nor enemies; those who misuse public resources must be sanctioned by law."

Invited by a cultural group to recall the origin of the Californias and the establishment of missions throughout the peninsula, Cota Montaño held various business meetings with officials, as well as with Ôperredistas' [PRD supporters] from the region.