Carlos Imaz Gispert
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Carlos Imaz Gispert | |
|---|---|
| Delegational Head of Tlalpan | |
| In office October 1, 2003 – March 15, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Gilberto López y Rivas |
| Succeeded by | Eliseo Moyao Morales |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1958 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Political party | Party of the Democratic Revolution (1989–2013) |
| Spouse | |
| Domestic partner | Sandra Alarcón (1982-1986) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Carlos Imaz Jahnke Montserrat Gispert Cruells |
| Alma mater | National Autonomous University of Mexico |
| Occupation | Sociologist, academic, activist and politician |
Carlos Imaz Gispert (born 1958) is a Mexican politician, academic, and activist and a founding member of the Party of the Democratic Revolution. He has served as the Delegational Head of Tlalpan a borough of Mexico City as well as other positions.
Biography[edit]
Gispert was born in 1958, and is the second son of Mexican mathematician Carlos Imaz Jahnke and Montserrat Gispert Cruells, an ethno-botanical researcher. His grandfather Eugenio Ímaz Echeverría was a Spanish philosopher. In 1985, he graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico with a degree in Sociology and later earned a Doctorate in Education from Stanford University. Since 1984, he has been a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
In 1986, he started a relationship with Claudia Sheinbaum and the two were married from 1987 until 2016.[1][2][3]
Political career[edit]
Party of the Democratic Revolution[edit]
Following a student movement in 1987, Ímaz became active in left-wing organizations, and in 1989, helped form the Party of the Democratic Revolution.
Leader of PRD Mexico City[edit]
Between 1999 and 2002, he served as president of the PRD in the Federal District. As party leader in Mexico City during the fourth state congress of the party, he is quoted as saying: "The Party of the Democratic Revolution will not tolerate the herding or buying of votes in the process of selecting a candidate for the head of government of the capital, which is to be carried out." He urged party members to go into the streets and hunt down electoral fraudsters, from his party or any others.[4]
Delegational Chief of Tlalpan and Political Scandal[edit]
In 2003, he was elected as the Delegational Chief in Tlalpan, a position he assumed in the same year.
However, five months after taking office in March 2004 a series scandals known as the video scandals began to surface in Mexico. The scandals implicated politicians and other public servants in embezzling large sums of money for personal use. On March 1, 2003, finance secretary of the Federal District, Gustavo Ponce was caught gambling in a casino in Las Vegas. On March 3, 2003, a local deputy of the PRD and president of the government commission of the legislative assembly René Bejarano was filmed receiving $45,000 from businessman and government contractor Carlos Ahumada.
Within 48 hours René Bejarano's video release, Ímaz, then Delegational Chief in Tlalpan, simply said "me too...," admitting he had been part of the scandal.[5]
In an interview on March 5, 2003, with journalist Carmen Aristegui, Ímaz said that the money received was for cazamapaches (Racoon Hunt) brigades organized to hunt electoral fraud which are common in Mexico. He also acknowledged financial contributions from Carlos Ahumada for the campaigns of Rosario Robles and for his own pre-campaign when he was running for Delegational Chief. He explained Carlos Ahumada was a blackmailer and mercenary, who later demanded directorship positions for departments and administrations the delegation managed which Ímaz says he refused. This refusal however cooled relations with Rosario Robles. Ímaz claimed it was all a plan discredit the head of the Federal District Andrés Manuel López Obrador.[6]
On March 8 Ímaz was videotaped receiving 350,000 pesos and by March 15,he stepped down from public office on leave to face the charges.[7]
Criminal Proceedings for Electoral Crime[edit]
Imaz claimed the money he received was for the presidential campaign of the PRD candidate Rosario Robles, and he also claimed the money was used fund groups defending the PRD vote. In an interview with La Jornada, he says he received money from Ahumada without conditions, but Ahumada later attempted to install two loyalists into the administration under his charge, which Imaz refused.[8][9]
On August 24, 2004, Judge XI of the Criminal Court of the North Prison, Carlos Morales, declared Ímaz criminally responsible for electoral crime, stating that the Attorney General's Office of the Federal District had provided sufficient evidence against him.
Judge Morales sentenced Ímaz to three years and six months in prison, and suspended his political rights. However, due to the electoral nature of the crimes and the inability of the court quantify everything and other issues with the offense imprisonment term length, the penalty was changed to a fine of 100,000.00 pesos.[10][11][12] Unlike Ímaz then did not go to jail, paid the fine and filed an appeal against the sentence.
On December 15, 2004, Ímaz was exonerated by three magistrates of the fourth criminal chamber of the superior court of justice of the Federal District, as they specified in their resolution that there was no evidence to establish criminal responsibility.[13]
Ímaz also provided evidence in court that contributed to the acquittal of René Bejarano.[14]
Case Against Ahumada[edit]
In the case against Ahumada, Carlos Ímaz was called as a witness. On March 20, 2004, Carlos Ahumada attempted to reverse the situation by federally denouncing Ímaz and Bejarano for extortion, basing the complaint on his own testimony and those of his business partner, his secretary, and Gustavo Ponce,[15] This complaint did not proceed.
Responses and Announcements within the PRD[edit]
On March 6, 2004, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas at the national council of the PRD, spoke out against the acts of corruption by party members. Regarding Carlos Ímaz, he stated that Ímaz should resign from his position as delegate of Tlalpan.[16]
On March 8, 2004, the plenary of the national executive committee (CEN) of the PRD, with a pre-made decision, determined the start of the procedure for the suspension of guarantees, anticipating a possible expulsion from the party, which did not occur.[17]
On April 21, 2004, the then head of Government of the Federal District, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, characterized it as reprehensible and condemnable that René Bejarano Martínez received money from businessman Carlos Ahumada.[18]
Unlike Rosario Robles, Ímaz refused to resign from his party.
Political Life After the Scandal[edit]
Despite all the setbacks caused by the political scandal, Carlos Ímaz has maintained loyalty to the party and to López Obrador.
On August 10, 2006, he reappeared in the public arena, participating in the sit-in at Reforma against the alleged electoral fraud and attending the recount of the fifth electoral district of presidential votes in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. He self-defined as a "rank-and-file militant" along with 11 lawyers and 17 other people.[19]
On September 16, 2006, in the Zócalo during the Democratic National Convention, he was proposed as a member of the Civil Resistance Committee of Andrés Manuel López Obrador against the electoral fraud they denounced, despite the disagreement of some sectors of the Convention who shouted "Ímaz no! Ímaz no!"
Despite having been approved, Ímaz resigned from the Committee asserting that no appointments are needed to fight for democracy and justice, and that he would continue fighting alongside the Convention and Andrés Manuel López Obrador.[20]
References[edit]
- ^ Sanchez, Raymundo (March 19, 2004). "'I believe Carlos', Sheinbaum affirms six times in a conference; Imaz's wife admits she knew of Ahumada's support for the PRD". La Crónica. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- ^ Belsasso, Bibiana (May 8, 2017). ""I separated from Carlos Imaz by mutual agreement a year ago"". La Razón de México. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
- ^ "Tlalpan Delegate denies relationship with Carlos Imaz". El Occidental. August 4, 2017. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
the acting delegate, uncomfortable with the question, argued she separated from Carlos Imaz due to gender issues.
- ^ La Jornada UNAM “The PRD will not tolerate herding or buying of votes, assures Imaz”
- ^ El Universal “Video scandals, highlight flaws over successes”
- ^ *[dead link]
- ^ Terra “New video exposes Carlos Imaz”
- ^ [dead link]
- ^ Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Power of the Federation “Social Communication”
- ^ Esmás “Carlos Imaz Sentenced”
- ^ [dead link]
- ^ Bolaños, Claudia (August 24, 2004). "Sentencian a Imaz a tres años y medio de cárcel". El Unversal Online. Archived from the original on September 5, 2004. Retrieved 2024-06-07.
- ^ esmas noticias televisa “Imaz Exonerated from Electoral Crime”
- ^ "Judge Acquits Bejarano of Electoral Crime Charge". La Jornada.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Terra "Going after Carlos Imaz"
- ^ *"La Crónica "The harm to the PRD comes from within: Cárdenas"". Retrieved April 20, 2008.
- ^ *"Proceso "PRD seeks to suspend guarantees to Robles, Imaz, and Sosamontes"". Retrieved April 22, 2008.
- ^ *"El Universal "AMLO criticizes the actions of Imaz and Bejarano"". Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved April 22, 2008.
- ^ *"El Universal, "Imaz a politician of resurrection"". Retrieved April 22, 2008.
- ^ *[dead link]