 |
| public defender (left), Cemeí Verdía (right) |
Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat
Morelia, Michoacán— Ignacio Mendoza Jiménez, who was the lawyer of Cemeí Verdía Cepeda, leader of the Community Police of Santa María de Ostula, in Aquila, said in a telephone interview that the Michoacán government obliged Verdía to change his layer in exchange for his release.
In that regard, “Nacho” Mendoza said verbatim: “the state government obliged Cemeí to give up his defense under the promise that they will release him, the government secretary, Adrían López Solís, was the one who operated this matter."
 |
| Adrían López Solís |
In an 11 minute video, you can precisely see Cemeí Verdía with Mendoza and in front of two more lawyers, who as told by Mendoza, are public defenders, one by the name of Efraín and the other one with the surname of Quintana.
In the recording, it shows that those present dispute the fact that Cemeí is being obliged to appoint lawyers and Verdía on several occasions says that all he wants is to get out “of this mess,” referring to the jail where he is imprisoned, which is the David Franco Rodríguez Prison, also known as “Mil Cumbres,” located in the municipality of Charo.
Mendoza Jiménez is asked about the subject which he responds: “it is pathetic that they keep on politicizing justice and obliging people to do things that they do not want because the government is the one deciding, on the other hand very content because it goes to show what we have said from day one: that the issue of Cemeí Verdía, like others, is a political issue, it had nothing to do with justice.”
The lawyer was also questioned as to why the state government didn’t want him to be defending Cemeí and if he is considered to be an obstacle, he replied: “I don’t know, ask them (the government), I’m a citizen, I work, I pay taxes, I don’t know how they view me and I don’t care.” The video shows that Verdía Cepeda signs some documents, in which he would be agreeing to be represented by the public defender.