César Arellano García
La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, November 12, 2025, p. 8
Yesterday the second hearing of the former governor of Veracruz Javier Duarte de Ochoa was held, where his lawyers asked the federal judge for early release, arguing that he had already served 95 percent of the nine-year prison sentence imposed on him for criminal association and money laundering.
However, Ángela Zamorano Herrera, judge for the execution of sanctions at the Federal Criminal Justice Center of the Reclusorio Norte, will decide next Wednesday whether to grant the pre-liberation benefit.
He postponed the procedure, since three of the six witnesses from the Veracruz Prosecutor’s Office did not attend because they are commissioned.
Javier Duarte has five months left to serve his nine-year prison sentence. If he is denied early release, he would be released from prison in April 2026.
During the proceedings, which lasted almost 10 hours, five testimonies presented by the defense were revealed, including those of Leticia Garnica, legal director of the North Prison; Francisco Morales, in charge of penitentiary support; Diego Quiroz, director of sentences; Osvaldo González, former deputy director of said prison, and Daniel Espinoza, deputy director of custodians, to accredit Duarte’s good conduct. The director of the North Prison needs to show up to support him.
In 2019, the former state president was sanctioned because four cans of alcohol, a blue king, and a pen with a camera were found on him. In 2020 he was also punished for modifying his cell; In both cases they left him without visits for 15 days. In 2021, the order in the medical area was altered.
Duarte requested the pre-release benefit on December 6, 2024, stating that he has completed 95 percent of his nine-year prison sentence imposed on him for the aforementioned crimes. His defender, Pablo Campuzano, pointed out that the general requirements for early release in Mexico, according to the National Law of Criminal Execution, are to have served a percentage of the sentence of at least 70 percent and to have good conduct, among others.
