MEXICO CITY, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday it was “not appropriate” for Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha to return to his post after accusations of drug trafficking by the United States.
Rocha, 77, a member of the ruling Morena party, dramatically returned to office on Friday but backtracked on Saturday following sharp criticism from Sheinbaum and other members of Morena.
“I had no prior knowledge that he wanted to return,” Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference on Monday, adding that the Sinaloa state congress is expected to appoint an interim governor.
In April, U.S. prosecutors charged Rocha with conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic drugs into the United States in exchange for bribes and political support.
Rocha has denied the charges, calling them a politically motivated attack.
Sheinbaum previously questioned the U.S. evidence against Rocha, but his brief return to office exposed tensions within the ruling party over the high-profile cartel allegations.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes; Writing by Natalia Siniawski, Editing by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez and Emily Green)
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