Prison conditions in the United States meet “international standards,” an aide to President Joe Biden told NTN24 after drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán complained that he was suffering “mental torment” and asked to have his sentence to serve in Mexico.
“I don’t know the specifics, but I do know that the prison department, I assume he’s in pretty good shape. […]that meet international standards. In doing so, we are fulfilling our international obligations,” said Juan González, Biden’s principal adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean during the Question of Power program.
“I can’t go into details” because that’s the responsibility of the Justice Department, González added.
El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison in the United States after being found guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering and use of firearms and is being held at ADX Florence Maximum Security Penitentiary in the Colorado desert.
His lawyer, José Refugio Rodríguez, sent an email to the Mexican embassy in Washington, claiming his client was suffering from extreme prison conditions, including isolation from other prisoners, an inability to communicate in Spanish, and the “not seen to have”. Sun”. during the six years he has been imprisoned.
Speaking to AFP on Wednesday, the attorney confirmed that his goal is for El Chapo to “return to Mexico to face trial in the pending criminal cases” and have his sentence served at a local facility, in accordance with a sentencing agreement between him the two countries are serving.
For now, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced that his government will consider the request.
“Let’s check it out [o pedido]. When it comes to human rights, there are ways and there are international bodies,” the Mexican president said Wednesday during his usual press briefing.