“For six years that Joaquin has been in the United States, he has not seen the sun,” said Mexican lawyer for “El Chapo”, José Refugio Rodriguez, in an interview.
Lex-Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman, nicknamed “El Chapo”, appealed on Tuesday via one of his lawyers for help in Mexico about the “psychological torment” he claims to suffer in prison in the United States where he is serving a life sentence.
“For six years that Joaquin has been in the United States, he has not seen the sun,” said his lawyer in Mexico, José Refugio Rodriguez, in an interview with Radio Formula.
Incarcerated in the deserted mountains of Colorado, in one of the most secure prisons in the United States, “Chapo” Guzman leaves his cell only three times a week without ever seeing the sun, added Me Rodriguez.
The lawyer claims to have received a voice message from Guzman, 65, through Mariel Colon, one of his lawyers in the United States, and one of his sisters.
“Psychological Disorders”
“He suffers from psychological disorders,” he continued, fearing a “deterioration” in his state of health which could lead to premature death.
The Mexican authorities must watch over his conditions of detention, according to an agreement with the United States, according to the lawyer.
The Mexican Embassy in the United States confirmed on Tuesday that it had received an email from Mr. Rodriguez, dated January 10.
“We will see, but he is serving a sentence there, he has a sentence. So, frankly, I don’t see any possibilities for him, but I will look into the matter with the prosecutor’s office,” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told reporters.
The “Chapo”, once feared leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, also protests against the alleged failure to respect the procedures during his extradition in January 2017. He had asked in October for the cancellation of his sentence and a new trial.
The grievances of the “Chapo” come after the arrest of one of his sons, Ovidio Guzman, on January 5 in the state of Sinaloa (north-west) during an operation which left 29 dead (10 soldiers and 19 suspected criminals according to the authorities).
On July 18, 2019, Joaquin Guzman was found guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering and the use of firearms by a court in New York.
It was before this same Brooklyn court that the cocaine trafficking trial of Genaro Garcia Luna, former Mexican Minister of Security between 2006 and 2012, began on Tuesday.
