Woman picked to be new AG

April 01, 2011|Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — President Felipe Calderon announced the resignation of his attorney general yesterday and nominated the assistant in charge of organized crime as his successor, the first woman to hold the post if she is approved.

Calderon gave no reason for the departure of Arturo Chavez Chavez, the second attorney general to resign since Calderon was elected president in 2006. He nominated Marisela Morales, who heads the organized crime unit of the attorney general’s office, to replace Chavez. She must be approved by the Senate.

Chavez was appointed in 2009 after the departure of Eduardo Medina Mora, one of the architects of Calderon’s crackdown on drug trafficking and organized crime. More than 34,600 people have been killed since Calderon’s administration launched the campaign.

While Medina Mora was constantly in the public eye, Chavez maintained a low profile as the chief prosecutor.

US Embassy officials in Mexico City found Chavez’s appointment to be “totally unexpected and politically inexplicable,’’ according to a diplomatic cable from September 2009 posted by WikiLeaks three weeks ago.