Carlos Ahumada
Encyclopedia
Carlos Agustín Ahumada Kurtz (born in 1964 in Córdoba
, Argentina
) is a naturalized Mexican
businessman owner of Grupo Quart, a newspaper (El Independiente
) and former owner of two football clubs (Santos Laguna
and León
) in Mexico who was convicted for corruption-related crimes in Mexico City
in 2004.
Ahumada Kurtz moved to Mexico at the age of 11 on October 6, 1975 with his mother and brother Pablo and in 1991 acquired Mexican citizenship.
in 1987 for the amount of 36 million pesos
. Two years later he founded his company Grupo Quart. His company obtained a contract in 1994 to build two overpass
es for the city of Acapulco
. That same year he was imprisoned for 29 days for generic fraud.
He also obtained contracts for paving streets for the government of the Federal District during the administration of Manuel Camacho Solís
(PRI
) but it was until 1988 during the administration of the first-elected head of government, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas
(1997–99, PRD
) that the number of contracts became significant. Under the administration of Rosario Robles
(1999–2000, PRD) the number of contracts increased furthermore. In 2003 he obtained contracts for 370 million pesos in Álvaro Obregón, D.F.
a borough of Mexico City administered by Luis Eduardo Zuno, member of the PAN
. Zuno was later imprisoned when he was discovered with a plane and armament on July 4 of the same year.
, then local deputy in the congress of the Federal District and former personal secretary of Andrés Manuel López Obrador
, Head of Government of the Federal District
and failed presidential candidate representing the Party of the Democratic Revolution
(PRD) in the 2006 elections
. The conversation was then presented by Federico Döring
, a politician belonging to the National Action Party
(PAN), on Víctor Trujillo
's high rated television talk show on March 3 of the same year. In the video, a faceless person was offering $45,000 in cash to Bejarano. Bejarano then declared the funds were donations to the campaign of Leticia Robles Colín, another PRD politician. When it was discovered the faceless person in the video was Ahumada, he declared that public servants of the government of the Federal District had been blackmailing him since at least the previous year.
Another video made public in the evening of March 3 showed a conversation between Ahumada and Bejarano where the first complains about non-payments by the Federal District government to Quart. Bejarano then promises to speak with López Obrador about the issue and to remind him that Ahumada has financed the campaigns of several PRD members.
This incident and another video of similar content were labeled videoscandals
by the press. Carlos Ahumada then flew to Havana
, Cuba
entering the country on February 27 with a Mexican passport. Days later, on March 12 Interpol
notified the government of Cuba that Ahumada was wanted in Mexico to respond to criminal charges, he was detained on March 30. The government of Mexico through its ambassador in Cuba, Roberta Lajous, initiated the process of extradition the next day and on April 28 of the same year Ahumada was deported to Mexico City where he remained imprisoned until May 7, 2007 when he was acquitted of all charges.
On July 8, 2007 Ahumada and his family left Mexico and returned to the land of his birth, Argentina.
Ahumada repeatedly claimed a conspiracy headed by ex-president Carlos Salinas de Gortari seeking to "banish Andrés Manuel López Obrador
off the Presidential Ballot", which implicated Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha
, Secretary of the Interior Santiago Creel
and senator Diego Fernández de Cevallos
. This conspiracy is also denounced on a video that appeared later.
Bejarano renounced his membership in the PRD the same day the videos were made public and was controversially freed on bail in 2005. Rosario Robles, whose trip to Cuba helped locate Ahumada, also left the PRD. Carlos Imaz, borough mayor of Tlalpan
, and Octavio Flores, borough mayor of Gustavo A. Madero
renounced their positions in government, they were also members of the PRD.
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) is a naturalized Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
businessman owner of Grupo Quart, a newspaper (El Independiente
El Independiente
-Track listing:# Intro # No Hay# Wondering Why# Cemento # Quiero Volver Esta Noche# Abrazo del Oso # En La Distancia # Nena Caliente# Atrevida...
) and former owner of two football clubs (Santos Laguna
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
and León
Club León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...
) in Mexico who was convicted for corruption-related crimes in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 2004.
Ahumada Kurtz moved to Mexico at the age of 11 on October 6, 1975 with his mother and brother Pablo and in 1991 acquired Mexican citizenship.
Government contracts
In 1990 he fled the country when the company owned by his brother Roberto Aníbal was accused of fraud against 900 senior citizens using a pyramid schemePyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
in 1987 for the amount of 36 million pesos
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
. Two years later he founded his company Grupo Quart. His company obtained a contract in 1994 to build two overpass
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
es for the city of Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
. That same year he was imprisoned for 29 days for generic fraud.
He also obtained contracts for paving streets for the government of the Federal District during the administration of Manuel Camacho Solís
Manuel Camacho Solís
Manuel Camacho Solís is a Mexican politician who served in the cabinets of presidents Miguel de la Madrid and Carlos Salinas...
(PRI
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
) but it was until 1988 during the administration of the first-elected head of government, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas
Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano is a prominent Mexican politician. He was a former Head of Government of the Federal District and a founder of the Party of the Democratic Revolution .-Biography:...
(1997–99, PRD
Party of the Democratic Revolution
The Party of the Democratic Revolution is a democratic socialist party in Mexico and one of 2 Mexican affiliates of the Socialist International...
) that the number of contracts became significant. Under the administration of Rosario Robles
Rosario Robles
Rosario Robles Berlanga was a left-wing Mexican politician who was appointed substitute Head of Government of the Federal District when Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas resigned from the post to run for the presidency in 2000...
(1999–2000, PRD) the number of contracts increased furthermore. In 2003 he obtained contracts for 370 million pesos in Álvaro Obregón, D.F.
Álvaro Obregón, D.F.
Álvaro Obregón is one of the 16 delegaciones into which Mexico's Federal District is divided. It contains a large portion of the south-west part of Mexico City. It had a 2010 census population of 727,034 inhabitants and lies at an elevation of 2,319 m...
a borough of Mexico City administered by Luis Eduardo Zuno, member of the PAN
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
. Zuno was later imprisoned when he was discovered with a plane and armament on July 4 of the same year.
Videoscandals
On June 10, 2003 Ahumada videotaped a conversation with René BejaranoRené Bejarano
René Juvenal Bejarano Martínez is a Mexican politician and ex-legislator, better known for the 2004 videoscandals.He was a political economy professor at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in 1978 and was the first coordinator for the Movimiento Sindical de Trabajadores de la Educación in...
, then local deputy in the congress of the Federal District and former personal secretary of Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Andrés Manuel López Obrador , also known as AMLO or El Peje, is a Mexican politician who held the position of Head of Government of the Federal District from 2000 to 2005, before resigning in July 2005 to contend the 2006 presidential election, representing the unsuccessful Coalition for the Good...
, Head of Government of the Federal District
Head of Government of the Federal District
The Head of Government wields executive power in the Mexican Federal District.The Head of Government serves a six-year term, running concurrently with that of the President of the Republic....
and failed presidential candidate representing the Party of the Democratic Revolution
Party of the Democratic Revolution
The Party of the Democratic Revolution is a democratic socialist party in Mexico and one of 2 Mexican affiliates of the Socialist International...
(PRD) in the 2006 elections
Mexican general election, 2006
A general election was held in Mexico on Sunday, July 2, 2006. Voters went to the polls to elect, on the federal level:*A new President of the Republic to serve a six-year term, replacing then Mexican President Vicente Fox .*500 members to serve for a...
. The conversation was then presented by Federico Döring
Federico Döring
Federico Döring Casar , is a Mexican conservative politician from Mexico City affiliated to the National Action Party who currently serves in the upper house of the Mexican Congress.-Education:...
, a politician belonging to the National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
(PAN), on Víctor Trujillo
Víctor Trujillo
Víctor Trujillo , is a Mexican host, comedian and political commentator. He is best known for his character Brozo el Payaso Tenebroso , a green-haired, unkempt, obscene and aggressive clown ....
's high rated television talk show on March 3 of the same year. In the video, a faceless person was offering $45,000 in cash to Bejarano. Bejarano then declared the funds were donations to the campaign of Leticia Robles Colín, another PRD politician. When it was discovered the faceless person in the video was Ahumada, he declared that public servants of the government of the Federal District had been blackmailing him since at least the previous year.
Another video made public in the evening of March 3 showed a conversation between Ahumada and Bejarano where the first complains about non-payments by the Federal District government to Quart. Bejarano then promises to speak with López Obrador about the issue and to remind him that Ahumada has financed the campaigns of several PRD members.
This incident and another video of similar content were labeled videoscandals
Videoscandals
The Videoscandals were political scandals in Mexico in 2004 when videos of prominent politicians taken with hidden cameras were made public...
by the press. Carlos Ahumada then flew to Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
entering the country on February 27 with a Mexican passport. Days later, on March 12 Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
notified the government of Cuba that Ahumada was wanted in Mexico to respond to criminal charges, he was detained on March 30. The government of Mexico through its ambassador in Cuba, Roberta Lajous, initiated the process of extradition the next day and on April 28 of the same year Ahumada was deported to Mexico City where he remained imprisoned until May 7, 2007 when he was acquitted of all charges.
On July 8, 2007 Ahumada and his family left Mexico and returned to the land of his birth, Argentina.
Ahumada repeatedly claimed a conspiracy headed by ex-president Carlos Salinas de Gortari seeking to "banish Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Andrés Manuel López Obrador , also known as AMLO or El Peje, is a Mexican politician who held the position of Head of Government of the Federal District from 2000 to 2005, before resigning in July 2005 to contend the 2006 presidential election, representing the unsuccessful Coalition for the Good...
off the Presidential Ballot", which implicated Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha
Rafael Macedo de la Concha
Rafael Macedo de la Concha is a Mexican army general and former Attorney General in the cabinet of Vicente Fox ....
, Secretary of the Interior Santiago Creel
Santiago Creel
Santiago Creel Miranda is a Mexican senator representing the right-of-center National Action Party who served as Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of President Vicente Fox....
and senator Diego Fernández de Cevallos
Diego Fernández de Cevallos
Diego Fernández de Cevallos Ramos is a Mexican politician affiliated to the conservative National Action Party . He was a presidential candidate in the 1994 election and President of the Mexican Senate.-Life and career:...
. This conspiracy is also denounced on a video that appeared later.
Bejarano renounced his membership in the PRD the same day the videos were made public and was controversially freed on bail in 2005. Rosario Robles, whose trip to Cuba helped locate Ahumada, also left the PRD. Carlos Imaz, borough mayor of Tlalpan
Tlalpan
Tlalpan is one of the sixteen administrative boroughs of the Federal District of Mexico City. It is the largest borough, with over eighty percent under conservation as forest and other ecologically sensitive area. The rest, almost all of it on the northern edge, has been urban since the mid 20th...
, and Octavio Flores, borough mayor of Gustavo A. Madero
Gustavo A. Madero, D.F.
Gustavo A. Madero is one of the 16 delegaciones into which Mexico's Federal District is divided.-Origins:Founded as "Villa de Guadalupe" in 1563, it became the city of "Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo" in 1828, and finally a delegación in 1931; as such, it was named after Gustavo A. Madero, the brother...
renounced their positions in government, they were also members of the PRD.