Abducted Mexican politician is freed

Links: Press Photo Agency/José Manuel Jiménez/Procesofoto / right: Reuters before and after: Mexican politician Diego Fernández de Cevallos, links, a speech in Mexico City in an undated photo. Right, Mr. Fernández released after seven months held.

Mexico CITY - Diego Fernández de Cevallos, which former presidential candidate kidnapped turned from his ranch in may, at his home on Monday, ending a seven month ordeal, the Mexicans captivated and highlighted, the weakness of the country law enforcement institutions Mexico City.

Diego Fernández de Cevallos, one prominent former Mexican presidential candidate was seven months after frees kidnapped. Video courtesy of Reuters.

The 69 year old politician appeared before reporters at his home, find a bushy beard gaunt and sporting. Mr. of Fernandez's release comes days before Christmas. "As far as my I already have forgiven hijackers as a man of faith," said Mr Fernández who refused to discuss the details of his captivity, but said he would soon publish information about his ordeal.

The abduction, one of the greatest secrets of the country during the last seems taken a shady leftist guerrilla group work to have been responsible for the abduction over the weekend to complete and said the politician would released.

Mr Fernández is known for its surprisingly strong showing in the presidential election 1994 he lost close to Ernesto Zedillo nicknamed "El Jefe Diego" or "Diego the Boss".

Known for its hard - load behavior and preferences for cigars, has since held an oversized political profile, he's one of the most celebrities and most controversial figures in President Felipe Calderón conservative national action party.

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Almost 23,000 people have in drug-related violence since 2006, according to the Government, died at the northern border States experiencing the worst of the violence.

14 Mr Fernández came at his ranch in the central State Querétaro, where waited his attacker, authorities said. Blood stains were found next to his sport utility vehicle if arrived investigators at the scene.

Mr. of Fernandez's disappearance was a shock even in Mexico where kidnapping is widespread and tens of thousands in conflicts with drug traffickers killed. The saga underlined, that even the country of the richest and most powerful susceptible to organised crime, traffickers or leftist guerrillas.

It raises questions about the effectiveness of Mexico institutions. At the request of Mr Fernández's family, Mexico's Attorney General's investigation of crime stopped just days after his abduction - probably for the family to negotiate a ransom.

Many critics, including some legal scholars, said the Government was wrong of a criminal investigation in the name of a powerful family back down. The move flew in view of the public statements of government officials urge people not to negotiate with kidnappers.

Many abductions in Mexico go unreported, because citizens not the authorities competent job trust in finding the culprits to do or suspect that the police may be even involved. Fernández case seemed, that the lack of confidence in the authorities to step up.

A spokeswoman from the Prosecutor General's Office said on Monday with Mr. of Fernandez's safe return which investigation would start again.

On Sunday published a day before Mr Fernández turned up a Mexican newspaper a lengthy manifesto written by a group the is "network for social transformation" in which the authors responsible for the abduction claimed called.

The piece entitled "epilogue of a disappear," legislators, described as a Plutocrat had abused his position at the expense of Mexico bad ' s.

The abduction appears known as the EPR according to Raúl Benítez, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico work a cell of the revolutionary people's army, the guerrilla group.

The EPR has a history of kidnapping Mexican elites, including the 1994 kidnapping of Alfredo harp Helu, then the co-owner of Mexico's largest bank, Banamex. Mr harp was loud a ledger found free in a RAID unharmed after four months and after his family, ransom, paid $25 million.

The EPR has denied that Mr Fernández abducted there. But Mr. Benítez said the abduction hole trademark of group multiple splits in the last few years has suffered.

Write toNicholas Casey at the nicholas.casey@wsj.com

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