News Summary for September 8th, 2011

++ Nuevo León Governor Rodrigo Medina denied that he would ask for a leave of absence as governor during investigations into the attack on the Casino Royale as requested by the PAN.

++ Monterrey Mayor Fernando Larrazabal said he would stay on the job and orders a survey to see what citizens think about him asking for a leave of absence.

++  The Attorney General’s Office identified another 18 suspects in the attack on the Casino Royale that killed 52 people… The Attorney General’s Office is offering a reward of 15 million pesos for each one for information leading to their arrest.

++ Among the suspects believed to have ordered and carried out the attack are commanders "Quemado" and "Mataperro", identified as heads of the Monterrey section of the Los Zetas drug cartel.

++ Raúl Rocha Cantú, owner of the casino Royale, presented an affidavit at a Mexican government office abroad, said Nuevo León Governor Rodrigo Medina.

++ Speaking in Jalisco President Felipe Calderón said he does not intend to fight with any branch of government but he insisted that the judicial branch must review its own methods of reviewing criminal cases.

++ The Attorney General’s Office asked Interpol for help to search for Néstor Félix Moreno Díaz, former Operations director for the Federal Electricity Commission who is accused of illegal enrichment.

++ National Human Rights Commissioner Raúl Plascencia said it was unnecessary to create a special office of attention for crime victims… He said he hoped the new bureaucratic structure would not mean more headaches for crime victims…

++ The Federal Electoral Tribunal said that civil organizations can call on citizens to vote, but must do so with no funding from the state.

++ PAN politician Santiago Creel challenged his rival Josefina Vázquez Mota to a debate on security, the economy and politics… She accepted immediately.

++ Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said he dismissed Martí Batres as social development secretary because he criticized him for shaking hands with President Felipe Calderón at an event to address the nation about the state of the government.

++ Martí Batres denied he ever criticized Ebrard and said he was fired for political reasons.

++ The Interior Secretariat declared an emergency in Cuautitlán and Teoloyucan because flooding there forced 1,700 families from their homes.