Page 29 - Aruba Today
P. 29
PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Tuesday 12 January 2016
Sean Penn: Nothing to hide over drug lord interview
MARIA VERZA advance of publication, Castillo arriving at an air- soldiers, marines and fed- Enrique Pena Nieto and
FRANK BAJAK though he said in the article port, then at a hotel, and eral police. Some of the sol- strained ties between the
Associated Press that Guzman requested no greeting the men who ap- diers are riding in armored countries.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Actor changes. parently took them to a personnel carriers. Guzman’s attorney Juan
Sean Penn said Monday he Mexican officials have said small airstrip, from which Guzman’s powerful Sinaloa Pablo Badillo has said the
has “nothin’ to hide” about that Guzman’s contacts they flew to the jungle cartel smuggles multi-ton defense has already filed
his clandestine visit to Mexi- with Penn and del Castillo camp to meet Guzman. shipments of cocaine and six motions to challenge ex-
can drug lord Joaquin “El helped them track down The newspaper said the marijuana as well as manu- tradition requests.
Chapo” Guzman, dismiss- the fugitive and they raid- photos are part of a Mexi- facturing and transporting Badillo said that his client
ing criticism over his inter- ed his hideout a few days can government intelli- methamphetamines and shouldn’t be extradited
view with the fugitive who after they met. Guzman gence file that it obtained. heroin, mostly to the U.S. to the U.S. because “our
was captured two days evaded authorities then, It is not clear which may He is wanted in various U.S. country must respect na-
ago. but was finally captured have been frame grabs states and his July escape tional sovereignty, the sov-
In a brief email exchange Friday in the Pacific coast from surveillance videos, deeply embarrassed the ereignty of its institutions to
with The Associated Press, state of Sinaloa. The account says agents government of President impart justice.”q
Penn was asked about im- A Mexican federal law en- were aware of and follow-
Sean Penn speaks during a forum with young entrepreneurs in Lima, Peru. Penn said Monday he
has “nothin’ to hide” about his clandestine visit to Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman,
dismissing criticism over his interview with the fugitive who was captured two days ago.
(AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
ages published by local forcement official, speak- ing del Castillo’s contacts
news media that indicate ing on condition of ano- with Guzman’s lawyers
Mexican authorities were nymity because he was not since at least June. Del Cas-
closely monitoring him and permitted to comment on tillo has not commented.
actress Kate del Castillo the issue, told the Associat- Mexico has begun the pro-
ahead of their October visit ed Press the Penn interview cess of extraditing Guzman
with Guzman. led authorities to Guzman to the United States, but
“I’ve got nothin’ to hide,” in the area of Tamazula, a that process will probably
he wrote. rural part of Durango state. take “one year or longer,”
Penn shrugged off a sug- Penn wrote in the article the head of Mexico’s ex-
gestion that he was “taking of elaborate security pre- tradition office, Manuel
hits” for agreeing to submit cautions, including switch- Merino, told Radio Formula
the story to Guzman prior to ing phones. But as he flew on Monday. He said the
publication of the story by to Mexico for the meeting, process had lasted as long
Rolling Stone magazine. he wrote “I see no spying as six years, in one case be-
“No, you’re reading hits,” eyes, but I assume they are cause of legal challenges.
he said. There are quite a there.” In the meantime, Guz-
few envious journalists, the He may not have known man was being held at the
AP reporter commented. how close those eyes were. same prison from which he
“True dat,” Penn replied. They were apparently al- escaped through a tunnel
Guzman was captured ready following del Castillo in July. But a Mexican secu-
Friday, more than three based on contacts with rity official said he is being
months after meeting Penn Guzman lawyers. held in a different cell. The
on Oct. 2 meeting and The Mexican newspaper El official was not authorized
six months after escaping Universal published 10 pho- to be quoted by name.
from prison. tographs Monday that ap- Both his original cell and
Penn did not respond di- peared to show Penn be- the mile-long tunnel he had
rectly to questions on ing monitored as he arrived built have been “made un-
whether it was appropriate in Mexico. usable,” the official said,
for him to submit his story The photographs that ap- without specifying how.
to Guzman for approval in pear to show Penn and del The prison is now ringed by
