By Maria Luisa Arredondo
The rhetoric of national sovereignty has historically been the favorite refuge of Mexican governments when external pressure hits where it hurts most. Today, President Claudia Sheinbaum takes up that banner by demanding “conclusive evidence” from the United States before lifting a single finger to arrest Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and the other nine Sinaloa officials accused of links to drug trafficking for extradition purposes. On paper, the position is institutional; In practice, it smacks of a worrying shielding strategy.
The US Department of Justice does not usually throw darts in the air when it comes to figures of this caliber. The accusations that link Rocha Moya with the alleged illicit financing of campaigns in exchange for protection for organized crime in Sinaloa are not just hallway rumors; These are indications that Morena came to power thanks, in large part, to resources of dubious origin and practices as nefarious as the theft of ballot boxes and threats to political rivals.
Sheinbaum insists that “he is not covering for anyone.” However, the insistence on dismissing the diplomatic notes and testimonies presented by Washington as “mere sayings” seems to ignore a suffocating political reality. If it is proven that Rocha and the Morenoist senator Enrique Inzunza were the bridges between drug money and the ballot box, not only would a governor fall, but the ethical legitimacy of an entire movement that promised to be “different.”
While Mexico entrenches itself in legal technicalities, the international situation has changed drastically. Donald Trump’s return to the White House has brought with it a rhetoric of direct confrontation that no longer remains in tweets. With explicit threats to intervene militarily against the cartels if Mexico does not act, Sheinbaum’s diplomatic “pause” becomes a very high-risk bet.
Trump’s pragmatism does not understand sovereignty when you feel your national security is at stake. By denying the extradition of such notable figures, the Government of Mexico is giving the Republican the perfect pretext to justify unilateral actions.
If the real reason to protect Rocha Moya is to prevent the sewer of electoral financing in Morena from being uncovered, the price that Mexico will pay will be very high. Not only is commercial and diplomatic stability with its indispensable partner at risk, but a devastating message is sent to Mexicans: that the law is absolute for the common citizen, but negotiable for the official who “contributes” to the cause.
Sovereignty is defended with clean institutions and internal justice, not turning the State into a law firm for politicians under suspicion. If there is evidence, let it be presented; But if there is fear of what those tests reveal, then sovereignty is just an excuse.
