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Everyone is quitting at Fondo de Cultura

Under Reserve features fact-checked news written by journalists and contributors to EL UNIVERSAL

Paco Ignacio Taibo II - Photo: Alejandra Leyva/EL UNIVERSAL
14/11/2018 |10:36
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Everyone is quitting at Fondo de Cultura

The Director of the Fondo de Cultura , a state-owned publishing house , has announced that he is leaving his position by the end of the month. Other resignations have also been revealed, among them are José Woldenberg, Fernando Escalante, and Juliana González , who were independent counselors. We've been told this is nothing out of the ordinary, as it is normal that the counselors invited by the current director resign too; nevertheless, we've been told that some could see this is as a stampede before the possible arrival of Paco Ignacio Taibo II as director. Nevertheless, we've been told that nothing is explained in a simplistic way, by seeing a divided reality in black or white.

What's AMLO going to do with the army?

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The Supreme Court put the incoming government on the spot. If tomorrow the tendency is confirmed, the Internal Security Law will be totally annulled. If this is the case, everything will return to the starting point, that is, the rules for the participation of the Armed Forces in public safety tasks will be the same used during Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto 's administrations. Now, without a “line” in Court, Andrés Manuel López Obrador 's government will have to decide what can the soldiers do in regards to the fight against crime and how will his government support them. If the annulment is confirmed, the Armed Forces , who insisted on this law, will be uncertain and AMLO's team , who prepared a project that will be presented today, might go back to the desk and write it again.

El Chapo's massacre

El Chapo

's trial turned out to be quite predictable; implicating high-ranking public servants by alleging they received bribes from the criminal organization, in this case, the former President, Felipe Calderón and the current President, Enrique Peña Nieto were mentioned. The drug lord's lawyer made this statements before the jury and it wasn't long before Calderón and Los Pino s' spokesperson, Eduardo Sánchez , discredited the claims made by El Chapo 's lawyer. By the way, Guzmán Loer a's strategy is looking to involve other characters, including his friend and partner, I smael Zambada, “El Mayo” , who he claims is the true leader of the Sinaloa cartel . That's how the massacre began. Will his affirmations be taken seriously during the trial?

The New York courtroom

Entering Joaquín Guzmán Loera's, “El Chapo” , trial, taking place in Brooklyn, New York , is no easy task. The court opens at 7:00 a.m., after a long queue formed through the early morning. The first hearing began early: arriving after 6:00 am was being at risk of not making it to the courtroom, and be placed in a nearby room where the trial is seen through a TV screen. Before entering the room, you have to go through two security checkpoints , as strict as in the airport. Once you're inside, the trial begins at 9:30 am, with strict rules that don't allow any kind of electronic devices . Yesterday, whoever left their seat, lost it. After several protests, some were allowed to go to the bathroom, after being in the courtroom for six hours. Nevertheless, no one wants to miss the trial of the one who was considered the U.S.'s #1 public enemy.