How Cartels Buy Politics in Mexico?

Mexico’s modern history has been shaped under the shadow of complex and often dark relationships between the state apparatus and drug cartels. The most controversial dimension of this relationship is undoubtedly the financing of democratic processes, namely elections. The work of investigative journalist Anabel Hernández, titled “La historia secreta: AMLO y el Cártel de Sinaloa,” sheds light on the very top of this dirty network, the era of current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) and his past campaigns, presenting shocking allegations.

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Cash Flow Under the Ballot Box

According to Hernández’s study, cartel intervention in political processes is not limited to voter intimidation; the real interference begins with the funding of campaign processes with massive cash flows. According to allegations in the book, the leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel (specifically Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and the then-partner Beltrán Leyva organization) provided millions of dollars in support to the election campaigns conducted by AMLO starting from 2006.

This financing model generally operates through “intermediaries.” In the book, it is alleged that figures such as Nicolás Mollinedo (Nico), who served as AMLO’s long-time driver and logistics coordinator, met with cartel representatives and received “suitcases full of cash.” Such financing not only strengthens the candidate economically but also leaves them indebted and vulnerable to the cartel’s demands after being elected.

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“State Capture” of Democratic Processes

An election financed by narcotics money fundamentally undermines the principle of democratic equality. According to Hernández’s analysis, cartel financing decays democracy in the following three stages:

1. Candidate Selection: The cartel does not only provide financing; it clears the way for candidates who will not interfere with their interests or who will directly serve them.
2. Interference in the Security Bureaucracy: In exchange for financial support, the appointment of cartel-friendly names to critical security units (police force, army ranks) is demanded.
3. Guarantee of Impunity: The elected politician is forced to pursue a “soft” policy against the organization that supported them. AMLO’s famous “Abrazos, no balazos” (Hugs, not bullets) strategy is characterized by Hernández as a reflection of this debt and a tacit non-aggression pact made with the cartel.

Corporate Corruption and Money Laundering

Financing is maintained not only through direct cash aid but also through public tenders granted to shell companies. The book details how businesses such as childcare centers, alleged to belong to the family of “El Mayo” Zambada, received high-budget tenders from the government, thereby integrating “black money” into the system. This situation means that the state budget indirectly returns to criminal organizations.

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Critical Notes for Fact-Checking

The following points should be considered when evaluating the accuracy of the allegations mentioned in the text:

• Official Investigations: The US Department of Justice and the DEA investigated allegations regarding the 2006 campaign in the past but closed the file on the grounds that “sufficient concrete evidence could not be found.” The allegations in the book are based on the reinterpretation of these closed files with new witness statements.
• Informant Witness Statements: A large portion of the allegations is based on the statements of former cartel members (informants) seeking sentence reductions. While these statements hold an important place in the legal system, they are always open to debate due to the motivations of the stakeholders.
• Official Denials: President AMLO has categorically rejected these allegations, describing them as “black propaganda” targeting his person and a “US-sourced conspiracy.”

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Conclusion: The Future of Democracy

Anabel Hernández’s allegations strikingly reveal the risk of Mexico’s democracy transforming into a “narco-democracy.” If a government owes its legitimacy to the financial power of a cartel rather than the will of the people, it becomes impossible to speak of a rule of law. This influence of the underworld on democratic processes is a structural crisis that not only Mexico but all modern states fighting organized crime must confront.

References

• Hernández, A. (2024). La historia secreta: AMLO y el Cártel de Sinaloa. Grijalbo / Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial.
• Osorno, D. E. (2010). El cártel de Sinaloa: Una historia del uso político del narco. Grijalbo.
• Legal Documents: Transcripts of the Genaro García Luna trial in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York and related DEA field reports.