El Chapo Gets Life, Rebukes U.S. for Torture
Posted on Wed Jul 17, 2019 at 01:10:24 PM EST
Tags: "El Chapo" (all tags)
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera was sentenced today to life in prison plus 30 years. When given his chance for allocution, he rebuked the U.S.
“Since the government will send me to a jail where my name will not ever be heard again, I take this opportunity to say: There was no justice here,” El Chapo told Cogan, according to the New York Daily News.
“I drink unsanitary water, no air or sunlight, and the air pumped in makes my ears and throat hurt. In order to sleep, I put toilet paper in my ears. My wife had not been allowed to visit, and I can’t hug my daughters,” he said, according to NBC News. “This has been psychological, emotional and mental torture 24 hours a day.”
“My case was stained and you denied me a fair trial when the world was watching. What happened here is the U.S. is not better than any other corrupt country,” Guzman added.
I agree with him. This trial was a showboat, run by his former associates who were given license to claim whatever they wanted in exchange for a reduction in sentence for their own misdeeds. Freedom is a commodity far more precious than money.[More....]
His lawyers were hamstringed by the judge at every turn, from delays in providing discovery for cooperating witnesses to barring them from presenting their defense: that Ismael Zambada-Garcia was the true leader of the Sinaloa Cartel and due to the corruption of Mexican police sand government officials, and the impunity they have in Mexico, Zambada was able to work hand and glove with them to set up El Chapo. Is that true? I have no idea, but I think they should have been allowed to present it, because if the jury believed it,and found El Chapo was not a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel during much of the time period of the charged conspiracy, they might have rejected the kingpin charge and El Chapo might not have been required to be sentenced to life.
His lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said after the sentencing:
“You can bury Joaquín Guzman under tons of steel in Colorado but you’re never going to erase the stink of” his trial.
Think about this: El Chapo will be in prison for life