El Chapo's Request For Extradition To Mexico For 'Cruel And Unfair Treatment' In US Prison To Be Reviewed

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he will consider reviewing the extradition request of imprisoned Sinaloa Cartel drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. Guzman, who has been incarcerated in the United States for drug conspiracy, has pleaded to speak with the Mexican President over his “cruel and unfair” treatment while serving a life sentence in a maximum security federal prison at ADX Florence, Colorado.

The Mexican Embassy in Washington said it received an email from Guzman’s lawyer, Refugio Rodriguez, about his client’s plight. The email, which echoed the drug lord’s verbal conversations with his lawyer to fight for his return to Mexico was then forwarded to Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department, the Associated Press reported.

Referring to Guzman’s request, López Obrador said he will review them and added, “You always have to keep the door open when it comes to human rights.”

But during a press conference on Tuesday, the Mexican President said he had no knowledge of Guzman’s pleas nor has he seen it.

In an interview with Mexican outlet Radio Formula, Rodriguez said his client has been hurting from his trial citing this was not in accordance with due process. Guzman was convicted in 2019 and Rodriguez claimed the 64-year-old cartel boss has been subjected to “unequal treatment” and is being served bad food. He supposedly doesn’t see the sun and is not provided with proper healthcare. On top of this, Guzman reportedly has had limited opportunities to speak to his family and his lawyers.

He further described his client’s situation saying El Chapo remains in isolation and is not even allowed to speak in Spanish as a means of imposed psychological torture. Rodriguez believes his interview with the radio outlet will help bring some attention to Mexican authorities about Guzman’s case. He went on to defend Guzman, saying that he was denied the opportunity to defend himself in his home country, pointing this out as a violation of his human rights.

Incidentally, both the U.S. and Mexico have signed an agreement on prison transfers that allows convicts in one country to serve their sentences in their homeland under certain conditions. But with the former Sinaloa capo’s crimes, his attempted escapes and the risks he still poses - many believe his plea may not likely be applicable to this agreement.