López Obrador orders to review the magnitude of the property damage against Pemex

Fabiola Martinez and Roberto Garduno

Newspaper La Jornada
Thursday, April 14, 2022, p. eleven

In the case of the former director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) Emilio Lozoya, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador instructed to review the magnitude of the property damage committed against this public company and, in addition, the inclusion of information on bribes to legislators to approve the energy reform, as the former official himself denounced.

Faced with different versions of this case, the president pointed out that the reparation agreement is still being reviewed, which must be supported by documents similar to those of an audit.

After the hearing of the case was deferred, the President gave the order to go in depth in the review of each case, that is, not to reach an agreement lightly.

In the morning press conference at the National Palace, he was asked if there is any new amount in the perspective to accept compensation for the damage in the events linked to the millionaire bribes from the Odebrecht firm.

López Obrador pointed out that the substance of the matter is currently under review.

It is being reviewed, information was requested and I believe that what they were considering as damage was that of Odebrecht, which supposedly gave Mr. Lozoya, that is why there was talk of 10 million dollars. But the instruction I gave is that property damage be thoroughly reviewed, that things should not be done lightly.

He mentioned that the owner of Altos Hornos de México, Alonso Ancira, continues with the damage repair payments of 200 million dollars, an actuarial calculation related to an overprice of selling a scrap plant to Pemex.

He also recalled that the person who is granted the level of protected witness, such as the former director of Pemex, must provide information and, in his case, the way in which he delivered the money that Odebrecht gave to legislators to approve the energy reform, “what happens is that they don’t talk about it.

He has to prove that and the prosecution has to act, because that’s why they gave him the status of protected witness, which is a special treatment, let’s say. It is important that you clarify about these bribeshe underlined.

Due to this energy reform, he said, the constitutional reform initiative in electrical matters was presented, in order to counteract the benefits that the previous government gave to foreign companies.