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Rosario Robles, the former Mexican Secretary of Social Development, was released from prison on Friday after three years for her involvement in the infamous Master Scam or the money diversion case.
The politician was reportedly detained at the Santa Martha Women’s Rehabilitation Center and requested to legally defend her case on at least seven occasions since she was arrested in 2019.
However, Robles’ request was allegedly denied by the judge until she asked the court to consider “age reasons” and “various diseases.”
The Attorney General's Office (FGR) reportedly examined Robles’ health and assessed relevant security measures before requesting a replacement for preventive detention.
The judge eventually accepted the request but mentioned that the politician would be prohibited from leaving the country without authorization. She has also been asked to deliver her passport to the prosecutor's office and ordered to provide her signature in court every 15 days.
The Master Scam is a term that defines a journalistic investigation organized by the Mexican news service Animal Politico in collaboration with the Mexican Civil Society Organization Against Corruption and Impunity.
The report, published on September 5, 2017, allegedly uncovered 128 ghost companies through which the Mexican Federal Government diverted more than 400 million dollars. These involved 11 state agencies, eight public universities, several private companies, and more than 50 individuals who provided public services at different levels of the government.
The survey report read:
“The federal government, across 11 dependencies, used it time and time again to embezzle billions of pesos.”
According to Run Down Bulletin, some of the notable public servants allegedly involved in the program were Rosario Robles, former director of Petroleos Mexicano (Pemex) Emilio Lozoya, and Governor of the State of Mexico, Alfredo del Mazo, among several others.
Rosario Robles is the first and only female mayor of Mexico City
Rosario Robles is a Mexican politician who previously served as the Secretary of Social Development (SEDESOL) and Agrarian, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU) in the cabinet of Enrique Pena Nieto.
She also became the substitute Head of Government of the Federal District when Cuauhtemoc Cardenas resigned from his position to run for the Mexican presidential election in 2000.
Robles also made history by becoming the first and only female mayor of Mexico City. She was born on 17 February 1956 and attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) to earn a bachelor’s degree in Economics.
She also received her master’s degree in Rural Development from the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM). Although Robles had a promising political career, her term was plagued with various legal controversies, prompting her to resign from the PRD (Partido de la Revolucion Democratica) party.
Rosario Robles was ultimately arrested in 2019 following The Master Scam investigation. Officials alleged that during her tenure, SEDESOL reportedly had 10 agreements with two universities to commit to the million-dollar embezzlement.
During the 2021 trial, Robles reportedly wanted to plead partially guilty to a 400 million dollar fraud embezzlement case in exchange for a reduced sentence of 21 to six years. However, she eventually decided to go to trial to prove her innocence.
Following her release from the Santa Martha Women’s Rehabilitation Center, Robles continued to maintain a similar stance on her innocence and said she would fight the accusations:
“I am absolutely willing to appear before the competent authorities.”
Robles also thanked everyone who sheltered her during her time in prison as well as Minister Arturo Zaldivar. The politician was seen hugging her daughter outside the bars upon her release.
