Prominent Mexican politician reported as dissapeared

His nickname is “The Boss” or ‘El Jefe’ and he is one of Mexico’s most powerful men in terms of economic and political power.

Diego Fernández de Cevallos is also a former presidential candidate and a former Senator. He is one of the most influential figures in the National Action Party (PAN), which is President Felipe Calderon’s party.  But as today, Fernández de Cevallos is an alleged victim of kidnapping. Rumors about his death have spread all Saturday by social media. Federal authorities have just confirmed that he is missing and that traces of violence were found in his vehicle in a ranch in Querétaro (central México).

An avalanche of questions comes to mind.  What is the message that kidnappers are sending? Who win with this situation?  Why him?

There is not enough information yet to answer these questions. Until now, we don’t know who are the possible kidnappers and what –if any– their demands are. But assuming that organized crime is behind the kidnapping, the most obvious answer would be that the message for the government is that there are not untouchables and that there is nothing that can stop them.

What it calls attention is that Fernández was not part of Calderon’s team and in fact, he had a cold relationship with the President. In the middle of 2009 Fernández said in an interview that he and Calderón had “very different temperaments”, and because off that, he had decided to keep away from his party’s internal decisions as well as from government issues. 

So the question remains, why him?

Besides being a politician, Fernández de Cevallos is a powerful lawyer. He was a partner of Fernando Gomez Mont, the current Interior Minister, who is also a lawyer. Fernandez’s buffet has represented numerous companies and businessmen in famous public cases. He represented former bankers accused of multimillionaire fraud as Carlos Cabal Peniche, Jorge Lankenau, Gerardo de Prevoisin and many others surrounded by controversy.  The Mexican press has documented some of the cases that he has represented lately and perhaps looking at some of them could give us a possible reason for his kidnapping.

Fernández’s kidnapping occurs when several states are preparing for elections on July 4. An event such as this reinforces the perception that the country is out of control and that the government is not just losing the war against organized crime, but also that it is unable to take the reins of the country.

Two weeks ago, President Calderon said in Germany that his government has defeated the “five” horsemen of the Apocalyse. One of those horse riders, he said, was the insecurity. This Saturday before traveling again to Europe, he received a probe that his “five” horseman is far away from being defeated.  Mr. Fernández’s kidnapping is a clear evidence of that. 

Comments

[alice from Ky]

Keep in mind, Ana Lourdes, the "alleged" kidnapping. It is very likely what it appears to be -an act by the drug cartels. But my suspicious mind tells me that other possibilities exist. I don't see any connection to the small scissors, ninguna. Even a panicked man would know the futility of using such a small weapon, assuming he had it in hand already. Also, as was reported, "signs of violence" does not follow logically, either, assuming it was the work of men with AK47's, unless it was broken teeth, or whatever.
I am an amateur writer, and often see things as though I were fitting them into a story, such that facts have to fit, logically. (I think your police often leave out pertinent information that may not need to be kept secret, for some reasons, which I can guess.) If it is kidnapping, that is the sixth horseman. There is a mythical horseman for all the negatives in life, starting with the first horseman, "the liar." Calderon is living in fantasy, as you pointed out. Gracias, y saludos. Alice