Fugitive Mexican ex-governor facing extradition

GUATEMALA: A former governor who had become a symbol of government corruption in Mexico was transferred to a Guatemalan military prison yesterday after being captured following six months on the run.

Ex-Veracruz state governor Javier Duarte looked pale and tired as he was brought to the military base in Guatemala’s capital.

Prosecutors in Mexico directed the Foreign Relations Department to request his extradition to his homeland, where he is wanted on suspicion of money laundering and organised crime.

Duarte, 43, was captured on Sunday at a hotel in Panajachel, a picturesque tourist town on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala’s highlands, with the co-operation of that country’s police and Interpol office.

Duarte is accused of running a corruption ring that allegedly pilfered millions of dollars from Veracruz’s coffers. State officials say schools, hospitals and other public institutions were stripped of resources under Duarte’s government and that of his predecessor.

Manuel Noriega, deputy director of Interpol in Guatemala, said Duarte would be presented before a judge to consider his possible extradition.

Duarte was governor of Veracruz from 2010 until he left office October 12, 2016, two months before the scheduled end of his term, saying he was doing so in order to face the allegations against him. He promptly disappeared and had been sought by Mexican authorities ever since. - AP