Why Won't Sheinbaum Extradite Rocha Moya? An analyst on Voz News suggests a possible bet against Trump: "I think they're hoping for a Democratic victory in November"

Geopolitical analyst Esteban Román explained this Monday on the Voz News newscast that ethe resistance shown by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to the return of Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, was linked to the certainty that her government depends on the administration of President Donald Trump to establish a welfare state that would benefit them electorally. Román also noted that the fact that Sheinbaum has not yet decided to hand Rocha Moya over to U.S. authorities could be because she is waiting for the Democrats to win the midterm elections, which would give Trump less room to maneuver.

"Sheinbaum is walking a tightrope. On the one hand, she doesn't really want to hand Rocha Moya over because she doesn't want to appear weak to her electoral base, which is anti-American. But at the same time , the president knows they depend on the U.S. to fund the welfare state they want to build in order to keep Mexicans happy and ensure they continue voting for MORENA. So reconciling the two is extremely complicated, and what they've decided is to remain in limbo for as long as possible. "Perhaps they're trying to buy time and hope that the Democrats win Congress in November," said Román.

The rejection of Rocha Moya's actions by both Sheinbaum and other members of her ruling party prompted an immediate request to the Sinaloa State Legislature for a leave of absence to step away from his duties, which the state legislature approved unanimously. Sheinbaum even asked the Sinaloa State Legislature to elect an interim governor to replace him.

On April 29, U.S. Department of Justice officials filed charges against Rocha Moya and nine other current and former Sinaloa officials. The defendants were accused of alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities and of maintaining alleged ties to Los Chapitos, one of the main factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, led by the sons of drug trafficker and drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.

As for why Rocha Moya decided to return to his post even without Sheinbaum's approval, Román explained to Voz News that it was all due to authorization from former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. "It's very likely that it was Andrés Manuel López Obrador—and not Sheinbaum—who gave Rocha Moya the go-ahead to return to the governorship. After all, we know that the former president is really the boss of everyone from his ranch in Chiapas," said the political analyst.

You can watch the full interview by clicking on the video below.