Salinas Insists Brother Is Innocent 


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Salinas Insists Brother Is Innocent 

Tuesday, April 20, 1999; 1:14 a.m. EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- In an open letter to the press, former President
Carlos Salinas de Gortari insists that his convicted brother Raul is
innocent of murder and says he is not trying to undermine Mexico's current
president.

``Once again, I reiterate my respect for the state of democratic law and
consequently for the presidential institution,'' Salinas wrote Monday
according to the government's Notimex news agency.

``When the president goes well, Mexico goes well and the interest of
Mexico always comes first,'' he added. Local television stations also
reported the letter.

Salinas' letter appeared aimed at dousing speculation that he was in a
political struggle with his successor, President Ernesto Zedillo, while
still claiming political motives in his brother's prosecution by the
federal attorney general.

Raul Salinas is appealing a 50-year sentence for masterminding the murder
of ruling party politician Jose Francisco Ruiz Massieu -- the Salinas'
former brother-in-law. He also is on trial on corruption charges.

Carlos Salinas has been widely vilified in the local press since Mexico's
economy collapsed three weeks after he left office. His brother was
arrested two months later and revelations of Raul Salinas' bank accounts
abroad besmirched the former president's reputation.

In his letter, Salinas said, as president from 1988 to 1994, he had
``always acted in favor of the great interests of the nation.''

He complained of ``strained inventions against me'' which were meant to
present him ``as a source of past, present and future evils.''

He linked the prosecution of his brother to that alleged campaign against
him. He repeated his belief that his brother was innocent of killing Ruiz
Massieu.

``The judge who convicted my brother fed his decision with facts of a
political character,'' Salinas wrote.

He has been living in exile in Ireland. 

(c) Copyright 1999 The Associated Press

 
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