The Story behind Tuta's 'Journalists' video

 Borderland Beat from La Jornada translated by Jane Brundage Mexico Voices

A statement from Mundo Fox addressing how their Tuta interview was secured:

It is disheartening to learn how the interview with La Tuta was secured. Noticias MundoFox had no knowledge of any payments being made to, or received by anyone in conjunction with the interview.

Had we even suspected that payments were involved, there is no way the interview would have taken place or aired. We have too much respect for the MundoFox viewers for that.

Noticias Mundo Fox (click hyperlinks to view the translated videos part 1 and 2. I did not have the desire to go further. 

Tuta in the Mundo FOX interview

Yesterday a video was released in which reporters Eliseo Caballero, correspondent for Televisa in Michoacán, and José Luis Díaz, owner and director of Esquema news agency, were seen meeting with The Knights Templar boss, Servando Gómez Martínez, La Tuta. 

On the video the journalists are not only heard giving advice about how the drug trafficker  might have a greater media presence, but  the Templar boss is seen pulling out a wad of bills from his wallet, counting them and giving some to both journalists.

The video was released by journalist Carmen Aristegui on MVS, her morning news show. In addition, Aristegui released separate interviews that she conducted with the two journalists--both of whom acknowledge meeting with La Tuta, agree that they were taken 'by force', but fall into contradictions regarding delivery of the money and what was discussed at that meeting.

Aristegui's article reports that on September 16, a package arrived at MVS News editorial office addressed to the hostess of the morning show. Printed on the package was the symbol of The Knights Templar; inside was a USB device with the 24-minute video and a message:

"Señora Aristegui: We are sending you a little gift against your friends at Televisa a few days ago. Nothing has been removed [not edited]." This material is going to become public. We hope it is on your program."

Both Accept the Facts

According to information published in La Jornada, a similar package was received some days earlier, but it had not been published because of the desire first to confirm that the two men who appear with Gómez Martínez were indeed Michoacán reporters.

Finally, their identity was confirmed when Aristegui herself succeeded in interviewing them separately: Díaz first, on September 18, and Caballero one day later. In the interviews, the two agreed that the meeting took place toward the end of 2013. However, although they stated that they were taken 'by force', they deny having received money--even when the images are clear.

Part of the three-way conversation is audible on the video. The journalists suggest to the Templar boss various actions, that from their perspective, suggest the Michoacán self-defense groups had captured most of the media attention. In particular, the Televisa correspondent [Caballero] proposes placing banners, as well as sending text messages, emails, photographs and 'whatever' to the media. 

Meanwhile, Díaz gives La Tuta to understand that nothing prevents him from being interviewed by reporters, since

"in Mexico nobody obeys the law."

The Fox interview

Caballero even comments to La Tuta that at that time, the correspondent from Fox World is in Michoacán, and he tells La Tuta:

"The correspondent from Fox World is in my house right now."

A few months later, Fox World broadcast an interview with Servando Gómez conducted by Rolando Nichols. Therefore, Aristegui asks Caballero directly if he served as liaison such that the interview might take place. 

Caballero: "It was not my initiative. I didn't propose it." 

Aristegui: "Weren't you the one who led Fox World to La Tuta?" 

Caballero: ''No. It's my understanding that they had a contact ... it was arranged through that contact."

Caballero also denies having had Nichols as a guest in his home.

In order to justify this meeting, Caballero tells Aristegui that had he not gone [to the meeting with La Tuta], he would have run the risk of being killed. Caballero:

"I told him in the nicest way that I will find that I could neither give any access to journalistic coverage by Televisa, nor for any communications media in which I work regarding what he was asking ... He was asking for criticism of the Army, of the Federal Police, for denigrating what federal authorities were doing at that time (in Michoacán), for criticizing the President."

Tuta's Money

When Aristegui interrogates him about delivery of the money, Eliseo Caballero answers:

"I don't remember that this  happened ... Surely if it occurred, surely it was to fuel the legend."

Aristegui immediately fires back:

"It's hard to accept the answer, Eliseo, given how the money is being delivered ..."

The Televisa correspondent interrupts:

"I'm going to tell you why. It's because, as I told you, with people like this and, above all, with the history that exists, it is hard to say 'no' to them."

At the end of the video Díaz is heard asking La Tuta to help them with "a ​​truck to move us."

Responding to Aristegui about this, the director of Esquema news agency says:

"No, we didn't ask for anything from that gentleman. We didn't even speak like that with him."

Díaz insists that although they were taken 'by force', the meeting was understood to be part of the job, since as a journalist he has to go to with sources of information rather than be content with press releases.

At the end, he asks Aristegui not to broadcast either the interview or the information, because

"honestly, the situation that I am going through, that my family is going through, is wearing. So if you do broadcast this information, logically, it is going to affect my family."