Acting governor of Veracruz Flavino Ríos claimed that Javier Duarte de Ochoa requested a helicopter from the Coatzacoalcos airport to fly out of the state.
Ríos, however, denied any participation or collaboration in Duarte’s escape.
“[Duarte] requested a helicopter to be brought to Coatzacoalcos. I can’t remember the registration number on it, but the PGR is investigating it. It was directly requested from the airport in Coatzacoalcos. I asked the airport personnel to extend him every courtesy granted to a governor, since I was not aware of the existence of an arrest warrant. So he called the airport, requested a helicopter, one was allocated, and that is as far as I know” said Ríos.
In an radio interview with Adela Micha, the acting governor said that “had I known what the situation was really like, I wouldn’t have agreed to become governor, I was not aware of the size of the crisis.”
About the claims set forth by mayors from his state regarding municipal funding, Ríos said that the mayor of Boca del Río, Miguel Ángel Yunes, is “stirring up conflict.”
“We tried to give them [part of the] money to pay for municipal services, but they refused and demanded full amounts. We are not going to fall for this kind of provocation,” Ríos said.
