In a hearing that lasted almost 12 hours and was held on video conference, Emilio Lozoya was linked with money laundering in the purchase of a very expensive and “useless” property during his time as Pemex CEO.

However, Lozoya will not go to jail as was supposed to happen when he came back from Spain. 

Instead, during six months of further investigation, Lozoya will be monitored by an electronic bracelet and be deprived of his passport to prevent him from fleeing the country. 

Social distancing from prison sounds excellent for someone who was already in prison before being extradited from Spain and has stolen billions from his own country's public budget. 

During his statements on July 27, Lozoya applied for “opportunity criterion,” which means he would receive legal benefits if he helps to testify against the superiors accountable for the crimes committed during his tenure. 

The only law condition here is that the former Pemex CEO has to incriminate bigger scandals than his own.

As Lozoya stated during his virtual judgment, he was only obeying orders that came from an “organized power apparatus."

In case he manages to incriminate higher public figures, Lozoya’s benefits include avoiding the prison for himself, his wife, his mother, and his sister, who are also involved in the crime.

No names were mentioned during his first hearing, however, the equation is simple.

Among the names that might be involved are former president of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, presidential candidates José Antonio Meade and Ricardo Anaya, former secretary of finance Ernesto Cordero, and former chancellor Luis Videgaray, among others.

According to Animal Político, Lozoya is following a strategy that has been successfully used before. In 2008, it was used in the persecution of Peru’s former president, Alberto Fujimori, on an accusation related to crimes against humanity. 

The real truth after Lozoya’s first declaration is that his status has changed from defendant to prosecutor. 

The hierarchical accusations he is willing to present may be a huge win for AMLO during the serious economic and health crises Mexico is living in.

In case Lozoya’s testimonies are able to incriminate figures from previous presidential terms, the lack of a strategy in what has been an almost autodidactic pandemic, where the government has contradicted its own regulations, as well as the economic catastrophe will be forgotten.