We're ready to prosecute Chávez Jr., says Gertz Manero

▲ The Sinaloa boxer was arrested and faces deportation proceedings to Mexico. Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

Alma E. Muñoz and Emir Olivares

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, p. a11

Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero indicated that the agency is waiting for Julio César Chávez Jr.'s hearing to be held in the United States so that he can be deported immediately .

All our staff is ready. This person's lawyer has been filing a series of injunctions that are inadmissible, and we will take him to court when the time comes , he emphasized.

When asked yesterday at the presidential morning press conference about the Mexican boxer's failure to appear for his scheduled hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, he stated that there was a mix-up because there were two hearings: one for prior crimes under investigation, and another for deportation .

But the one that will give us the most accurate information will be the deportation one , he said.

The prosecutor reiterated his criticism of the United States because they had all the information to be able to "arrest him and the entire obligation was theirs because he was there.

She was capable of living in the United States, she was established there, she had gotten married there, she was acting there. Why did they use her at this time, and why did they do it the way they did? That's their responsibility , he maintained.

He insisted that Chávez Jr. had authorization from the Americans themselves to enter as a tourist. In the United States, they constantly identified him; they knew he was a criminal, and they didn't arrest him .

Furthermore, we "made a very extensive series of efforts to have him handed over to us, but they didn't... This individual entered the (neighboring) country once or twice through Tijuana. The Americans knew about it, they declared it, but they didn't inform us."

On why he wasn't arrested the last time he even fought professionally, the prosecutor said that's what we have to ask them .

The US authorities did know that there was an arrest warrant out for him .

Jared Laureles and Jessica Xantomila

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, p. a11

In the three host cities of the 2026 World Cup in Mexico—Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey—64 projects have been identified to improve infrastructure and mobility to host the sporting event. The projects are estimated to generate more than 128,000 direct jobs, according to a study by the Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI).

This union, led by Ambet Yuson, and the International Confederation of Workers (CWI), chaired by federal representative Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, insisted on the urgent need to guarantee Mexican workers decent, safe, and fair working conditions in the megaprojects associated with the tournament.

The mining leader recalled the national campaign that the CIT is promoting for decent work in different economic sectors one year before the FIFA World Cup (International Federation of Association Football), through which it seeks to ensure that every project, stadium, road, and space built leading up to the Cup has legitimate collective bargaining agreements, social security, protective measures, and respect for the working day.

In a video message broadcast yesterday during the International Trade Union Conference on Labour and Sport, he welcomed this roundtable discussion, which was attended by more than 70 representatives of organizations from different countries, as it represents a powerful message of international solidarity .

Violeta Mendieta, a consultant at the ICM, explained that of the total projects, 21 are under construction, 38 are pending due to a bidding process or lack of budget, and only five have been completed.

Based on information from more than 60 federal and local institutions, he noted that while in Mexico City, projects focus on urban improvements around the Azteca Stadium (now Banorte) and mobility, in Guadalajara, they have focused on road connections to the Akron Stadium and the airport. Meanwhile, in Monterrey, they have focused on recreational spaces near the BBVA Stadium and waterworks.

Regarding working conditions, he pointed out that only 1.5 percent of construction workers are unionized, so many of their rights are not observed or fulfilled .

The difficulty in accessing stadium construction sites and maintaining dialogue with construction companies are some of the main challenges facing Mexico in verifying workers' conditions, said Raimundo Ribeiro, president for Latin America and the Caribbean of the BWI.

One such incident occurred last March, when the union was denied independent inspections at the Azteca. However, Yuson stated that today they will finally be able to access the venue to dialogue with the workers, as no World Cup should be held without labor rights .

▲ Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) won yesterday's fourth stage of the Tour de France in Rouen, earning his 100th victory as a professional, while Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel held on to the yellow jersey in extremis . At the end of the 174.2-kilometer stage, the Slovenian, a three-time winner of the race and a strong favorite for this year's edition, beat his great Danish rival Jonas Vingegaard, who finished third. Photo AP

La Jornada Newspaper, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, p. a11