Early Saturday morning the empty truck of Diego Fernandez de Cevallos was found at the gate of his ranch. There were no signs of a shootout, just a smattering of blood that matches Cevallos’ type on a pair of scissors that he was known to use to trim his beard. A logical suspicion is kidnapping. If so, it would mark the highest profile person heist in years.
“El Jefe Diego” is an influential lawyer who defies anonymity in Mexico. In 1994 he was the PAN’s presidential candidate, but he mysteriously withdrew from the race just weeks before the election. Despite this he is credited with helping to end the PRI’s lock on power, and today he remains a key elder of the PAN and a close friend of President Calderon. His notoriety of late owes to a scandal in 2005, in which he oversaw the construction of highway to his girlfriend’s house. She is a beauty queen half his age.
Cevallos has been variously reported dead, alive, and moribund in hospital.
His family has pled to be contacted, but no such contact is reported. His kidnapping would mark a tragic low. Even among those rather inured to the rising violence in Mexico this event is rattling. Mexico’s elites are reflecting on the disappearance with a new degree of dejection.
