National Action Party (PAN) members in the Senate demanded that the federal government and the general prosecutor, Raúl Cervantes Andrade, take their hands out of the State of Mexico’s election. They also demanded that they stop “leaking” false information in an effort to discredit their candidate, Josefina Vázquez Mota, who is leading the electoral polls. PAN member Fernando Herrera Ávila condemned the “leak” that came from the government to a newspaper, in which Josefina’s father and six brothers were accused of money laundering for the amount of 17 million pesos ($899,488).
Herrera Ávila called this “leak” perverse, and said that all it proved was the lengths the desperate government and Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) will go to for their candidate Alfredo del Mazo Maza, who is in third place.
“This leak has clear electoral intentions. It is very worrying and sad that they are using this prosecution as a campaign instrument for their party,” he said.
Herrera Ávila insisted that this leak is a desperate act to put a stain on Vázquez Mota’s advancement.
“The PRI is desperate and they are going to do everything they can to get ahead. They are back to using old tricks, like the blatant intervention from the federal government. We’re going to defend Josefina from the infamy and slander that comes from PRI’s desperation since their candidate is in third place,” he added.
Herrera Ávila demanded that the National Electoral Institute (INE) and the Electoral Institute for the State of Mexico (IEEM) leave aside the passivity and act against the actions of the federal government.