Arturo Chávez Chávez

Arturo Chávez Chávez (born 4 September 1960) is a Mexican prosecutor who served as Attorney General of Mexico in the cabinet of President Felipe Calderón from 24 September 2009[1] until 31 March 2011.[2] He previously served as Attorney General of Chihuahua during the governorship of Francisco Barrio.[5]

Arturo Chávez Chávez
Attorney General (Mexico)
In office
24 September 2009[1] – 31 March 2011[2]
PresidentFelipe Calderón
Preceded byEduardo Medina Mora
Succeeded byMarisela Morales
Attorney General of Chihuahua
In office
1996 – 1998[3]
GovernorFrancisco Barrio
Personal details
Born (1960-09-04) 4 September 1960
Mexico
NationalityMexican
Political partyNational Action Party[4]
Alma materMonterrey Institute of Technology, Chihuahua Campus[5]
OccupationLawyer

He has also worked as chief advisor to former Senator Diego Fernández de Cevallos, as Undersecretary of Legal Affairs and Human Rights at the Secretariat of the Interior and as former envoy of the secretariat during the 2006 Oaxaca protests.[5]

Chávez as Attorney General

His nomination to the post of Attorney General by President Felipe Calderón on 7 September 2009 was received with harsh criticism from some human rights activists and relatives of the victims of the female homicides in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, who, according to William Booth of The Washington Post'', claim he did little during his years as Attorney General of the state to solve the killings of hundreds of women in the 1990s.[6]

Chávez was required by law to testify before the Senate before assuming office. According to Ken Ellingwood of the Los Angeles Times, his party held a numerical advantage in the 128-seat legislative chamber but lacked a clear majority, so it needed to reach for votes across the aisle.[4] During the session, Chávez expressed his opposition to the death penalty, though the Ecologist Green Party had strongly campaigned for its implementation[7]—and cannabis legalization,[8] which the Senate as a whole had recently voted to decriminalize in small amounts for personal use.[9] In the end, his nomination was confirmed with 75 votes in favor, 26 against (mostly from the political left), and one abstention.[10] However, his appointment was criticised by the United States in a leaked diplomatic cable as "unexpected and inexplicable".[11]

Chávez resigned on 31 March 2011 after 18 months as Attorney General, citing personal reasons, three weeks after the U.S. cable was made public. President Calderón described Chávez's work in office as having "been fundamental to Mexico's efforts to establish rule of law", and said Chávez was the reason many cartel leaders had now faced justice.[11] Calderón has appointed Marisela Morales, head of the organized crime department in the Office of the General Prosecutor, as Chávez's successor.[2]

Supposed organized crime infiltration

According to the WikiLeaks cable 09MEXICO2759 issued in September 2009,[12] the United States government received information from "unpublished sources" that Chávez was allegedly infiltrated with a drug cartel in Chihuahua during his term as governor.[13] The cables mention that Carlos Pascual, the former U.S. ambassador in Mexico, sent the information of Chávez's collaboration with the organized crime groups to United States Department of State.[14] Nevertheless, nothing about the former governor's relationship with the drug cartels was confirmed.[15]

References
  1. Ellingwood, Ken (25 September 2009). "Mexico Senate confirms Arturo Chavez Chavez as attorney general". Los Angeles Times. Mexico City. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  2. Wilkinson, Tracy (31 March 2011). "Calderon replaces Mexico attorney general". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  3. Watson, Julie (9 September 2009). "With new AG, Mexico tries to revamp drug war". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  4. Ellingwood, Ken (21 September 2009). "Mexico attorney general choice comes under fire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
  5. "Perfil: Arturo Chávez Chávez" (in Spanish). El Universal. 7 September 2009. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  6. Booth, William (9 September 2009). "Calderón Draws Fire Over Nominee for Attorney General". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  7. Gibbs, Stephen (4 February 2009). "Death penalty debate grows in Mexico". Mexico City: BBC News. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  8. Gómez, Ricardo (21 September 2009). "Arturo Chávez rechaza legalización de la mariguana" (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved 21 September 2009.
  9. "Mexico Senate OKs bill to legalize drug possession [sic]". Mexico City: Reuters. 28 April 2009. Archived from the original on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  10. Gutiérrez, Miguel Ángel; Emmott, Robin; Wilson, Chris (24 September 2009). "Mexican Senate OKs divisive prosecutor pick". Mexico City: Reuters. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
  11. "Attorney General Arturo Chavez resigns". BBC News. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  12. "Mexico: New Attorney General – The Good, The Bad". WikiLeaks. September 2009. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  13. "EU sospecha que el procurador mexicano ayudó a un cártel del narcotráfico". (in Spanish) CNN México. 26 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  14. "EU sospechó que el procurador mexicano ayudó a un cártel del narcotráfico". (in Spanish) CNN México. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  15. Cano, Arturo (21 June 2011). "EU sospechaba que Chávez Chávez ayudó a narcos en Chihuahua". (in Spanish) La Jornada. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
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