Mexico CITY - Mexico's Congress voted overwhelmingly Tuesday the parliamentary immunity of a Congressman accused of links to a drug cartel, for the first time Strip a sitting Mexican legislator has faced charges of relations with organised crime.
Legislator 384 2 voted to lift the immunity of Julio Cesar Godoy, a Congressman from the leftist party of the democratic revolution. Mr. Godoy, 45 years old, was by Mexican prosecutors accused connections to La Familia, a violent cartel established in the Western State of Michoacán.
The move was a rare victory for President Felipe Calderón's effort to combat drug-related corruption among Mexican officials.
A much-publicized crackdown on politicians with alleged ties to La Familia fell apart last year after prosecutors charge against almost all 35 officials including the Mayor and police chiefs deleted.
Send as coordination welcomed a strong message to drug cartels analysts and legislators responsible for more than 31,000 deaths over the past four years.
César Augusto Santiago, the head of the Congress Committee, which examines the case for two months, said "it is our opinion, that it enough evidence to support the allegations of the General Prosecutor's Office," his fellow legislators.
When he spoke Mr Santiago gave a thick stack of paper, he said, witness statements, documents and copies of tapes which were integrating Mr. Godoy on organised crime.
Mr. Godoy, which Governor Leonel Godoy, half-brother of Michoacán has denied the charges say are politically motivated. He does not participate in the session and was believed to be hidden. His own political party, which largely voted against him.
"We support the movement which should be treated Because…this strictly according to the law," said Alejandro Encinas, head of the delegation of the Congress of the PRD. Mr Encinas urged legislators to spin.
It is not clear, is arrested Mr. Godoy, now, immediately, his immunity was lifted because he has also received a court order staying an arrest warrant issued in last year. Prosecutors have asked the judge to lift the stay.
Until now, the case was an enormous embarrassment to Mexico's political establishment, underline the extent to which cartels, politics have penetrated the drug use, and questions about whether politicians, if caught, can even be punished.
The arrest warrant against Mr Godoy's crackdown on links between issued last year as part of the La Familia drug cartel and politicians in Michoacán. Mr. Godoy candidate was Congress.
He won his seat and went underground. In September he snuck into Congress and took the oath of Office automatically to gain immunity from prosecution. Mexico, charged - can target not the legislature with crime, that a move to protect from politically motivated persecutions.
If Mr. Godoy had turned up, in the Congress members divided. Many of his colleagues PRD members argued that Mr Calderon crackdown on Michoacan was directed politician of the PRD, regulates the State.
But every support enjoyed Mr. Godoy may Welk quickly if bands an alleged phone conversation between legislators and Servando Gomez, one of the leaders of la Familia cartel emerged.
Talking the two seem to be very friends and drug traffickers promises to support the legislators in his election campaign.
Mr. Godoy's loss of immunity comes a week after the federal police and soldiers fought members of la Familia in a two day battle of the five policemen life cost and led to the deaths of Nazario Moreno, known as "The craziest one," a leader of the Group on organized crime.
Since there were half a dozen demonstrations in areas that are removed by la Familia demanding of followers of the cartel, the federal police controls. Armed believed the cartel several branches and service stations in rural Michoacan include attacked Tuesday, the second consecutive day of such attacks. There were no reports of injuries.
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