Duarte will go to jail: Yunes Linares

By Horacio Jiménez and Edgar Ávila

For the first time in 86 years, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) will not rule in Veracruz.

The alliance formed by the National Action Party (PAN) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) gave victory to Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares, who warned that the current governor of the state, Javier Duarte de Ochoa, a member of the PRI, will go to jail because there are proofs of his wrongdoings.

In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL, Yunes, a member of the PAN, said that it would be unfair and illegal to forget the complaints filed by the Superior Audit of the Federation (ASF) for embezzlement against the current governor, during whose administration 35 billion pesos (US$1.89 billion) were diverted.

Yunes added that in the complaint he filed against Duarte on April 3 he proved that the governor's assets amount to more than 3 billion pesos (US$162.2 million).

Yunes was director of the Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE) and congressman. His cousin, Héctor Yunes Landa, was the PRI candidate for governor of Veracruz.

He added that he will investigate and punish the officials that linked state police to organized crime, that the last 12 years of government will be audited and that those who "plundered public funds will be asked to return what they robbed.”

Yunes also said that he will not use government houses that cost 5 million pesos (US$270,956) per month and that he will use commercial airlines instead of private flights.