The PAN (National Action Party) mayoral candidate for San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mauricio Fernández Garza, has been reported as establishing pre-election contact with leaders of the Beltran Leyva drug cartel.

The pact between the candidate aspiring to govern the municipality not only with the most wealth in Mexico, but one of the most affluent in all of Latin America and the criminal drug gang who currently control the trade inside San Pedro, include an authorized, controlled trafficking of illegal drugs in exchange for the drug cartel’s families being given the opportunity to leave quaint, peaceful lives within the same municipality limits.

Reporte Indigo recently published damaging audiotapes to both the press and government electoral officials. Fernández Garza is heard stating during a private lunch meeting that family members of the Beltrán Leyva cartel live in San Pedro, that they, not the police, are responsible as the authorities for the low crime rate by keeping the rival drug gang Los Zetas out, that the Beltrán Leyvas are ‘in agreement’ with the town’s public security plan, and that authorities accept and will continue to accept, once he’s in office, their exclusive drug dealing as long as it is not done in the open.

“It really isn’t complicated, even the Beltran Leyva’s are in agreeance, it’s for the good of all of our families. What I did make very clear is that I don’t want any (local drug) sales, made obvious. No more little stores in the discos, that’s too obvious. They’ve taken care of San Pedro ... don’t believe it’s our police. They give a lot of importance to living in peace. That’s what I’m understanding, so we have to take advantage of that.
-Mauricio Fernandez Garza

In his own defense, Fernandez Garza stated that the recording presents extracts from a discussion with a group of supporters that have been taken out of context.

“I gave a talk of more than 40 minutes a few months ago, where I presented my security plans, and in a question-and-answer session with the audience I talked about corruption within the (San Pedro) police, which has been infiltrated by the ‘narcos,’ and the situation of the drug cartels in Nuevo Leon” state.”

The Beltran Leyva gang has sought to and succeeded in continual corrupttion of several high-ranking federal anti-narcotics officials, including the now ex-drug czar, who was recently arrested for allegedly receiving $500,000 a month.

President Felipe Calderon, like Fernandez a member of the conservative National Action Party, or PAN, has made the fight against the nation’s drug cartels the centerpiece of his government’s agenda, having deployed more than 50,000 Mexican army soldiers and federal police nationwide since taking office in late 2006.

If it’s proven there was a pact, the PAN would not support such a candidacy ... we would never allow a double standard.”
-Cesar Nava, congressional candidate and Calderon’s former right-hand man

Fernandez, meanwhile, said Friday that a representative of Indigo Media had offered him election publicity for a half-million pesos (almost $37,300), which he had to decline due to lack of campaign funds. He said that only two days after he declined, the audiotapes were released.