1994 (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - La culebra - full transcript
In the presidency, there are days
that go by like seconds.
PRESIDENT OF MEXICO
(1988-1994)
Because of the fast pace
of the job,
and the attention demanded
by such a big responsibility.
But some minutes can
stretch endlessly.
MARCH 23, 1994
It all started one week before.
GOVERNOR OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, PAN
(1989-1995)
I was sitting in my office,
back in Mexicali,
when I got a call from PRI's
Executive Committee in Tijuana.
They didn't tell us exactly
which day he'd come...
PRI LEADER, TIJUANA
but a possible date was
March 23.
Lomas Taurinas was among
the southern neighborhoods.
It was thought to be a good place
for his opening speech.
Colosio has already won!
Diana Laura...
TV HOST
was good friends
with us women working on TV.
So, Diana Laura had heard
I was in Tijuana.
She called me on the phone
and said:
"We're going to Tijuana.
We want you to join us
on the campaign trail."
They didn't want the state police
involved with Colosio's security.
It wasn't one person's decision.
The idea was to present
a candidate of the people,
without so much fuss.
Tijuana was to be the start
of a new stage in his campaign.
I said, "You must think that
all state police is with PAN.
So, I'll instruct the state police
not to intervene."
Thank you, thank you very much.
A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Attorney General's Office.
Two shots: one in the head,
another in the stomach.
- There's no official statement.
- coward.
He was attacked,
receiving two gunshot injuries.
There's another version going around
saying he may have received
a third gunshot in the head.
There's absolute secrecy.
I see a Mexico hungry and thirsty
for justice.
The treaty... the best paid...
The flower of the word will not die.
For all the people, light.
For all the people, everything.
State problems, scams and more.
opened fire.
For Mexicans I state my commitment
to reform power.
My name is Rodolfo
Mayoral Esquer.
PRI GUARD, TIJUANA
I was born and raised
here in Tijuana.
On the days leading up to
March 23,
my dad and I went to
the PRI offices
so I could register as a member
of the PRI party.
DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE
ACTIVE MEMBER
As luck would have it,
right outside the offices,
we ran into Rodolfo
Rivapalacios Tinajero.
So, he and my dad got to chatting
on the staircase.
My dad said hello to him
and then introduced me.
Then, Rivapalacios told him that
he would be in charge
of the different events
the candidate would attend.
So, he asked my dad
if he'd like to participate.
My dad said yes.
And he also signed me up.
Later, Rivapalacios assigned us
to the Lomas Taurinas event.
We were thrilled when we heard
the candidate was coming here.
PRI LEADER, TIJUANA
We were eager to find out
our community's role in his visit.
But they said we wouldn't
have any role whatsoever.
That we were only guests,
and as the date approached,
they'd figure everything out.
Hurry up so we can talk
with Luis Donaldo Colosio Murieta.
I got started at PRI's
municipal committee...
PRI DRIVER, TIJUANA
working as a driver,
as an assistant.
I transported supplies,
drove VIPs around,
and attended rallies.
No one from the media wanted
to go to Lomas Taurinas.
COLOSIO'S CAMPAIGN STAFF
Although it was low-income,
it was a place like any other.
There was nothing particularly
interesting about it.
We were there because we had to,
otherwise, we would've skipped it.
I left the broadcasting offices
and headed for Lomas Taurinas.
The crowds were huge.
This was at the top of a slope,
all the buses parked downhill.
Gen. Domiro said the organizers
must've been idiots.
He told me:
JOURNALIST AND COLOSIO'S FRIEND
"Why is the stage there,
where there's no street?
Why not here?
He could go from the stage
directly back into the van."
Avenue Guadalajara is also with Colosio.
Ensenada, here.
Now the residents!
Colosio! Colosio!
We were late coming from La Paz
because of this thing he always did.
He'd walk along the fence
shaking people's hands,
giving autographs,
accepting people's letters.
All the Tijuana residents
gathered here today
to warmly welcome the candidate
and future president of Mexico.
Colosio! Colosio! Colosio!
Keep back, keep back.
You can see it, you can feel it
Colosio is here!
You can see it, you can feel it
Colosio is here!
Welcome, Mr. Candidate!
We're with you!
Hope you read my letter!
I'm also from Magdalena,
Sonora! Urrea!
You know Francisco well,
don't you?
Thank you, thank you.
It was a moment of joy,
happiness, and music.
Hats were being given away.
T-shirts reading "Colosio, yes!"
Ice cream men.
The atmosphere was such
that you were sure he'd win.
Colosio, Colosio! Colosio!
Forward! Forward!
The day of the rally, since I had
already met Mr. Colosio,
I went on stage next to him,
and took the floor.
I wasn't on stage, but he told me
to get up there...
COLOSIO'S CAMPAIGN STAFF
and he told me, "Stay close,
you're coming with me after this."
We founded this community
twelve years ago.
We've worked hard
for all of this.
We've had no hand-outs,
we earned what we have.
All of us here are true believers
of what PRI stands for.
Hurray for PRI!
Yeah!
Come on, come on!
Forward! Forward!
So, I slowly started walking
from the bridge
to get closer to the candidate
and keep an eye on him.
I tried to find a spot
close to my dad.
Let there be no doubt,
here in Tijuana,
and in Baja California,
we're going to win!
We're going to win because
we're getting ready for it!
We were behind the stage,
I didn't even watch his speech.
- Hurray for Tijuana!
- Hurray!
- Hurray for community organization!
- Hurray!
- Hurray for PRI!
- Hurray!
- Hurray for Mexico!
- Hurray!
Suddenly, someone from
the government walked up to me
and told me, "Ma'am,
let's go to the bus.
It will be too crowded later."
So, I went towards the bus,
Luis Donaldo was already done.
And that's when they started
playing this awful music,
at a deafening volume.
The song was called "La Culebra."
When the candidate was about
to step down after the rally,
we arranged ourselves
in a safety formation.
The candidate stepped off stage
and instead of using our formation,
the Secret Service pushed him
towards the crowd.
They failed to lead him towards
the formation we'd prepared.
Men, get in formation!
Make a formation there!
Open up your ranks!
Open the ranks, men!
Let him through!
He stepped down and I stood
next to him, on his left.
We were being pulled
every which way.
They were strong men
forming a kind of wave.
Security formation!
They were clearing a path
for Mr. Colosio.
They led him wherever
they wanted.
I kept trying to push people back,
otherwise, we couldn't move.
I was behind him.
He turned and gestured at me,
I couldn't even lower my arms
since it was so crowded,
so I just grabbed his papers.
I was walking behind
Mr. Colosio,
when I heard someone say,
"Step back, fucker."
I also heard the reply:
"I need to take a photo."
Suddenly, a young man
lunged towards the bus steps
from the outside,
screaming, "They got Colosio!
They got Colosio!"
I was right behind when suddenly,
I heard a loud bang.
I turned and started hearing
people screaming.
The music was so loud that
it drowned out the screams.
I saw a hand like this,
and then the gun fired.
I looked up, thinking that's
where it came from.
He knows who did it!
He can tell us who did it!
Stop beating him!
Chaos reigned.
A few seconds later,
I heard another bang.
I heard like two firecrackers,
so I turned.
He brought his hand up
and started collapsing.
I saw him lying on the ground,
bleeding profusely,
as well as someone
being detained.
I turned and saw my dad
lunge towards Mario Aburto.
He grabbed him and knocked
the gun from his hand.
- Take him out of here!
- He's a cop, man!
Take this bastard away!
That man did it!
Don't let him escape!
Aburto said, "The old man did it,"
and everyone went for my dad.
So many punches were flying
that their own fists
luckily deflected
some of the blows.
People were ready to lynch him,
to kill him right there.
Clear the way!
The Secret Service picked him up
and I followed behind.
Fuck!
And they got him inside
a Chevy Blazer.
Then, they got him down again
and got him into an ambulance.
Get him some help!
Quickly!
- Quickly!
- Move!
If they grabbed him,
we should lynch him!
I called the campaign HQ
and told them.
Zedillo asked me, "How bad is it?"
I said, "Really bad."
As they got him in the ambulance,
Domiro told me,
"Are you riding in the ambulance
or in the truck?"
I took the truck, there were
too many people already.
He told me, "Get in fast
and take cover."
Domiro was holding a gun,
shaking.
He kept looking up,
looking everywhere around.
Domiro told me, "Take cover,
there are snipers here."
In fact, at first they took him
towards the back.
In the opposite direction
of where the exit was.
Just turn him over
to the authorities!
I pushed them, shouting:
"No, the cars are that way!"
It wasn't me!
Kill him!
- Kill him!
- Kill the bastard!
But whenever I looked away,
they'd let go of him.
So, I was forced to stay
very close to them.
Don't hurt him!
He has to confess!
Step aside, step aside!
He has to confess!
You're on camera!
You're being recorded!
You're responsible for that man!
Go, go, go!
Make sure the doors are locked!
Stand back!
I heard someone say,
"Come on! Let's go!
Follow that police car!"
So, the bus started following
a police car,
and took us straight
to the prosecutor's office.
We saw them drag a suspect
out of the police car by the hair.
We said, "This is the wrong place,
take us to the General Hospital."
I ran into another man from
the security and protection group.
He said, "Get in the car, Mayoral."
But I was still looking for my dad.
He told me, "He must've gotten
in another car.
You know how these things are,
you get in any car you can.
Get in the car."
I hadn't seen my dad, but I knew
that if he had been there,
I would've found him easily,
as he would've looked for me.
A shot.
I was with some colleagues,
I was desperate.
I asked to go to the party's HQ,
to see what came next.
Everyone was shaken.
I asked them, "What now?
What are we going to do?"
And they said,
"Calm down, Yolanda.
- We're not doing anything."
- "What the hell do you mean?"
I told them, "They killed him,
they killed our candidate.
He's dead," I told them.
"He's dead."
"We know nothing yet, Yolanda.
Our hands are tied."
We followed the ambulance,
jumping medians and sidewalks.
The ambulance arrived,
followed by the truck I was on.
There was another major
or colonel there with me.
Everyone else was
in the ambulance.
We finally made it
to the General Hospital.
And that's when I saw
Diana Laura arrive.
So, I took her by the arm,
but one of her aides
who was named Gamboa,
sort of signaled me
to keep my mouth shut.
She knew something had happened,
and that he was in the ER,
but she was told that Donaldo
had been struck with a stick.
The General told me,
"I don't dare tell her."
He said, "You should tell her,
you're close with the family."
When Diana got there,
she didn't know who to talk to.
No one else approached her,
so I did it myself.
And she told me, "Federico...
All this for a blow to the head?"
I mean, it was chaos.
It was a circus, every doctor
in the hospital was there,
as well as every nurse,
things were out of control.
So I told her, "No, Diana.
He wasn't struck with a stick.
He was struck with a bullet.
Two, actually.
One in the stomach
that doesn't seem too bad,
and another in the head,
which is really serious."
Diana, well, she collapsed.
O Negative blood.
Let him in!
Let him in!
- Come on!
- O Negative! Let him in!
Let him in or we'll smash
this glass!
Asshole!
- She works here.
- This camera is PRI's.
- Please let me in.
- All right, go ahead.
A Negative!
All right, he's a doctor.
Let him through.
The Director of the Hospital
had now kicked everyone out.
And I heard someone shout:
"Negative type blood!"
After you finish donating blood,
try to get more information.
TV HOST
- We're staying on this story.
- Yes, sir. Thank you.
I had already called Mr. Jacobo
Zabludovsky from the bus.
I had already told him
what was happening.
As I went into the hallway,
Mr. Zabludovsky was still
on the phone with me.
Has Mrs. Colosio given
any statements?
Nothing yet.
She's just praying,
and placing her trust in God
for a good outcome.
Have the doctors told anything
to Mrs. Colosio?
I was caught between a rock
and a hard place.
Between trying to respect
Diana Laura,
and my duty as a journalist.
Talina walked over,
cell phone in hand,
and told Diana,
"It's Jacobo Zabludovsky.
He wants to interview you."
And Diana tells her...
She gestured at her as if
saying no, quite harshly.
I heard Talina walk away
and say something like:
"She's unavailable,"
or something like that.
Diana told me,
"You need to be a raving idiot,
to think I'm going to
give any statements now."
- Please go into the OR.
- I can't, sir.
- Why not?
- Security is tight.
Tell security that all of Mexico
needs to know what's happening.
Talina?
Talina?
Talina Fernández?
When he told me to go in
and tell them he sent me,
I hung up on him.
Don't let them in here!
They are from the PAN party!
- What type of blood do you need?
- We've got it.
- What type?
- I don't know, but we've got it.
People are placing candles
on the hospital stairs.
They are as distraught as we are
in light of this murder attempt.
- Please let him through!
- Let him through!
They took Diana Laura away,
and Dr. Aubanel came out
of that same door.
And she called over
Bishop Berlie.
I tried to go inside,
but they stopped me.
While she closed the door,
the Bishop's eyes met mine.
I went like this,
and he shook his head.
Doctor Aubanel!
Doctor Aubanel!
Dr. Aubanel, what's the condition
of the candidate?
I hear off the record that
Mr. Colosio has died.
- Mr. Colosio has died.
- It's still off the record.
- Mr...
- Wait, I can't...
We're out in the hallway,
there's been no official word,
but a doctor hurrying past me
told me he passed away.
- Who is this doctor, Talina?
- He vanished, sir.
He came out of the OR,
but I wasn't able to follow him.
This is terrible, can we get
immediate confirmation?
This is very serious for Mexico,
for our history, for everyone.
It deeply saddens me
to inform all of you
that despite the efforts
undertaken by the doctors...
COLOSIO'S CAMPAIGN SPOKESMAN
Luis Donaldo Colosio,
PRI candidate
for the presidency of Mexico,
has passed away.
Salinas did it!
Who will be next? Who?
Oh! Who'll be next?
Calm down, Yolanda.
- Sir, did you hear Colosio died?
- Yes, we heard about it on TV.
- What's your opinion?
- It's very sad, a tragic day.
- What's the sentiment in Tijuana?
- We're all deeply sad.
May I?
This is the lack of security
instilled by Gov. Ruffo.
There are shootings every day.
An agent came out holding
a bag with Colosio's clothes.
He said, "What about his clothes?
Shall I give them to you?" I said no.
There was no one else,
so he gave them to me.
I asked Ramiro what to do, he said,
"Give them to Captain Castillo."
So I did, but what a mess,
not knowing who to give them to.
Other politicians
started pouring in.
Manlio Beltrones showed up.
Diana was very fond of him.
He was from Sonora, like Donaldo,
and they were good friends.
Diana told him, "Manlio,
this wasn't part of the plan."
And Manlio replied:
"It wasn't part of our plan,
but it was someone else's."
Clear the way, people.
Clear the way, quickly!
Diana Laura wasn't crying.
She had put on a black suit,
demure like she was.
The General then came in
and told her:
"The plane just landed,
we can go to Mexico City."
As a Mexican, and as a friend of
Luis Donaldo Colosio,
my deepest affection
goes out to his family:
His wife Diana Laura.
His son, Luis Donaldo,
and his daughter, Mariana.
I was told that the killer
who'd acted before hundreds,
was already in custody.
I wanted him alive so we could
question and prosecute him.
COLOSIO'S ALLEGED MURDERER
How long did you prepare
to hurt the candidate?
I won't talk about that.
How much time did he train
with firearms
to hurt the candidate?
And the name of the person
who gave him the gun?
I won't speak.
He won't answer the question.
What's the name of the shooting range
where he trained?
Come on, answer.
- No.
- He won't answer. OK.
What does "Eagle Knight" mean?
I won't answer.
If you wanted to hurt him,
why shoot him in the head?
Why not aim to the body?
You're going to handle this...
No, I'm asking you,
the lawyers are present.
Also, the man is
from the Human Rights Commission.
If you don't believe why we came here,
for free,
here is this gentleman
who is the Human Rights Ombudsman
for the state of Baja California,
he can show you his credentials.
That day, I was in my office...
when I got a call from
Delegate Arturo Ochoa
asking me to witness
Aburto's questioning...
BAJA CALIFORNIA
HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN
in my role as Human Rights
Ombudsman,
so that I'd ensure no torture
took place during questioning.
I'm not afraid of being killed.
You told us that you wanted
to talk to the people on TV,
to the media, we're reaching out
to the people in the media.
Don't you plan on talking to them either?
No? Do you want to talk to them
behind closed doors?
No, I want everyone to know,
but not just one network,
I want several more.
Do you want several more?
They're from channel 33.
We come from channel 33,
it's international.
Do you want us to talk alone?
Can I talk to him?
If we leave you alone with channel 33,
are you going to talk?
Do you want all the press? It's hard
to have all the press in this office.
At some point, the infamous
reporter came in with a camera.
She was a police agent,
but pretended to be a journalist
there to interview Aburto,
because he did ask for that.
He said he wanted to
talk to the media.
He must've found it fishy,
so he didn't tell her anything.
What are your ideals? Why did you attack
the candidate? Was it you?
I won't talk about that.
- You won't talk about it?
- No.
Are they framing you?
What's happening? Did you shoot?
Why are you afraid to testify?
The only thing I can say
to the foreign press,
is that I wrote a book many years ago
and it was delivered to him.
Are you a writer?
I won't say.
Honey, but you're telling me
you wrote a book.
A book about what?
What was the book about?
In any other serious
murder investigation,
the questioning can take
up to four or five hours.
This was less than three hours,
with superficial questions.
You have the press here
and you won't talk, you know what?
You're out of your mind, you're crazy.
Because if your objective
of hurting someone
is to attract the media's attention,
and the media comes
and you keep silent, what are you after?
I told you what kind of media I wanted.
We're not here to fulfill your wishes.
- I'm sorry.
- This is not a hotel.
You're a murderer.
Do you know what can benefit you?
Knowing who fired the other shot.
It can benefit you because maybe your shot
didn't cause the lethal injury.
Maybe the other one did.
Even knowing that it can help you,
you don't want to say who else fired.
Nor do you want to explain...
that shot.
Counsel...
When I was alone with him,
he told me about all that.
On the way from Lomas Taurinas
to the prosecutor's office,
the officers instructed him
to stay quiet.
"You'll declare that you know nothing,
you won't declare,
you won't say anything."
You pointed a gun
at a human being's head and killed him.
Did you think he was going to stay alive?
No. Or what? Yes?
But why were you there?
And you shot from three meters away.
At the feet, not just one leg.
Do you know how much
time they can give you?
It's a 50-year-mistake, sure.
If you are innocent,
why you don't give a statement?
I talked to the Secretary
of the Interior, Jorge Carpizo,
who was there with
the Attorney General,
Diego Valadés.
I asked the Attorney General
to go to Baja California
to get the facts.
Excuse me, excuse me, gentlemen.
Mario Aburto Martínez
fired twice.
ATTORNEY GENERAL (1994)
One straight to the head,
and another in the
abdominal region.
The first shot was fatal.
GOVERNOR OF SONORA, PRI
(1991-1997)
Both shots resulted in
exit wounds.
GOVERNOR OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, PAN
(1989-1995)
He used a Taurus revolver,
.38 special caliber.
Made in Brazil.
He walked into the room,
greeted everyone,
approached the press,
or the press approached him,
and he told them it was
a lone gunman.
I mean, damn.
What a dizzyingly fast
investigation, huh?
He was on a plane,
then in the car, hurrying.
The investigation hadn't started,
I think it never did.
They had a separate meeting.
Gov. Ruffo later told me that
once they were face to face,
Valadés pointed a finger at him
and said: "This is your fault."
First thing he said to me was:
"Your party did this."
Murderers...
- One moment, please.
- an assassination attempt?
One moment, please.
You weren't invited to a show,
this is a press briefing.
- I'm a public servant, let me speak.
- You promised clarity.
- Please let me speak.
- Then, speak.
I'm a serious public servant.
I offered to brief you,
and I have.
If you think that determining
the man responsible,
and how it happened
isn't proper information,
I don't know how it is that
you define "information."
- None of this is new information.
- Moreover...
Days later, the national press
started publishing stories,
saying that Aburto had declared
during his questioning
that he was affiliated with PAN,
which he never did.
Whoever leaked that was trying
to muddy the waters.
They asked him if he had ties
to any parties, armed groups,
or to the Chiapas guerrilla,
but he stayed quiet.
He refused to answer
every single time.
Nava, don't you understand?
Code 3: Calm down.
These are images of another
conspirator being detained.
This is the moment when they arrest
another attacker.
That's when they brought
in Vicente Mayoral.
An old cop from Tijuana.
He was distraught,
shouting desperately.
He recognized me and asked me
to stay there with him.
"They're going to hurt me,
I wasn't involved."
I approached one of the men
stationed on the roundabout.
I told him my name and that
my dad had been detained.
He brought me to the entrance
of the Prosecutor's Office,
and a commander came out,
a strong, burly man.
I told him the same thing.
"Don't worry, it's all been
cleared up," he said.
"In fact, why don't you go home
and reassure your family?
Tell them it's been cleared up,
your dad isn't in any trouble."
I asked how could that be,
since he was locked up.
I stepped out into the hallway
and started opening office doors,
Mario Aburto was in one of them.
A police commander was there
wrapping him in styrofoam.
I saw it myself.
I asked, "What is this?"
He managed to blurt out,
"The thing is,
we're moving him to a basement cell
and don't want him to get hurt."
Meanwhile, Mayoral was screaming
from the other office.
So, I went to him.
Mayoral didn't know anything,
he didn't understand.
In fact, he's the one who
apprehended Mario Aburto.
That's what made them
hate him so much.
My theory is that they wanted
to execute Aburto at the scene.
That would've been
the end of it.
They were foiled when
this man lunged.
He was much taller,
so he covered him.
Still, one of the agents
pointed his gun down,
trying to get a clear shot.
Except Mayoral's son grabbed him
and lifted the gun.
"He's my dad!" He shouted,
that's what foiled the plan.
Plan B, which didn't work either,
was to take him to a military base.
If there was a specific plan
regarding all of this,
it spun out of control.
As I was turning,
I caught a glimpse of him.
PRI GUARD, TIJUANA
(TUCAN GROUP)
Then, I heard a bang.
So I turned, saw people running,
and also saw Aburto
sort of ducking low,
so I lunged at him.
I wasn't right in front,
but a little off center.
I could've been killed.
The next morning, I went
to the presidential hangar,
to receive the coffin,
and talk to Diana Laura.
She told me something
that I still find haunting:
"This was supposed to be
the other way around."
I knew exactly what she meant.
Donaldo was to look after their kids
after she passed away.
Despite her immense grief,
what weighed most on her
was how her absence
would impact her children.
Gov. Manlio Beltrones and his wife
are arriving now,
holding Diana Laura Riojas,
Colosio's widow, by the arm.
The bullets of hatred,
resentment, and cowardice...
COLOSIO´S WIDOW
have snuffed the life
of Luis Donaldo.
COLOSIO'S FATHER
He thought he had the answer
for a Mexico hungry for justice.
That's why he wanted
to become president.
I, who had the fortune
and the privilege
and the blessing from God
to be with him,
and to form a family with him...
I can tell you that he was
a wonderful father.
An exemplary husband.
Here, in Magdalena de Kino,
land of missionaries,
we say goodbye to a man
who made a true impact.
On behalf of my family,
my children Luis Donaldo
and Mariana,
myself, and especially on behalf
of my husband Luis Donaldo,
I thank you for being here.
Thank you very much.
MEXICO CITY
It's time to honor the memory
of Luis Donaldo Colosio.
That's what matters most.
Above all else, we have
a responsibility
to avoid making comments
or giving statements
about possible suspects
or motives.
Who did this? Who did this?
Who did this? Who did this?
The President is now leaving
the auditorium.
LIVE FROM PRI'S HQ
IN MEXICO CITY
Chanting, "Who did this?"
PRI members seem to demand
a proper resolution to the case
of the candidate's murder.
Who did this? Who did this?
that go by like seconds.
PRESIDENT OF MEXICO
(1988-1994)
Because of the fast pace
of the job,
and the attention demanded
by such a big responsibility.
But some minutes can
stretch endlessly.
MARCH 23, 1994
It all started one week before.
GOVERNOR OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, PAN
(1989-1995)
I was sitting in my office,
back in Mexicali,
when I got a call from PRI's
Executive Committee in Tijuana.
They didn't tell us exactly
which day he'd come...
PRI LEADER, TIJUANA
but a possible date was
March 23.
Lomas Taurinas was among
the southern neighborhoods.
It was thought to be a good place
for his opening speech.
Colosio has already won!
Diana Laura...
TV HOST
was good friends
with us women working on TV.
So, Diana Laura had heard
I was in Tijuana.
She called me on the phone
and said:
"We're going to Tijuana.
We want you to join us
on the campaign trail."
They didn't want the state police
involved with Colosio's security.
It wasn't one person's decision.
The idea was to present
a candidate of the people,
without so much fuss.
Tijuana was to be the start
of a new stage in his campaign.
I said, "You must think that
all state police is with PAN.
So, I'll instruct the state police
not to intervene."
Thank you, thank you very much.
A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Attorney General's Office.
Two shots: one in the head,
another in the stomach.
- There's no official statement.
- coward.
He was attacked,
receiving two gunshot injuries.
There's another version going around
saying he may have received
a third gunshot in the head.
There's absolute secrecy.
I see a Mexico hungry and thirsty
for justice.
The treaty... the best paid...
The flower of the word will not die.
For all the people, light.
For all the people, everything.
State problems, scams and more.
opened fire.
For Mexicans I state my commitment
to reform power.
My name is Rodolfo
Mayoral Esquer.
PRI GUARD, TIJUANA
I was born and raised
here in Tijuana.
On the days leading up to
March 23,
my dad and I went to
the PRI offices
so I could register as a member
of the PRI party.
DEMOCRACY AND JUSTICE
ACTIVE MEMBER
As luck would have it,
right outside the offices,
we ran into Rodolfo
Rivapalacios Tinajero.
So, he and my dad got to chatting
on the staircase.
My dad said hello to him
and then introduced me.
Then, Rivapalacios told him that
he would be in charge
of the different events
the candidate would attend.
So, he asked my dad
if he'd like to participate.
My dad said yes.
And he also signed me up.
Later, Rivapalacios assigned us
to the Lomas Taurinas event.
We were thrilled when we heard
the candidate was coming here.
PRI LEADER, TIJUANA
We were eager to find out
our community's role in his visit.
But they said we wouldn't
have any role whatsoever.
That we were only guests,
and as the date approached,
they'd figure everything out.
Hurry up so we can talk
with Luis Donaldo Colosio Murieta.
I got started at PRI's
municipal committee...
PRI DRIVER, TIJUANA
working as a driver,
as an assistant.
I transported supplies,
drove VIPs around,
and attended rallies.
No one from the media wanted
to go to Lomas Taurinas.
COLOSIO'S CAMPAIGN STAFF
Although it was low-income,
it was a place like any other.
There was nothing particularly
interesting about it.
We were there because we had to,
otherwise, we would've skipped it.
I left the broadcasting offices
and headed for Lomas Taurinas.
The crowds were huge.
This was at the top of a slope,
all the buses parked downhill.
Gen. Domiro said the organizers
must've been idiots.
He told me:
JOURNALIST AND COLOSIO'S FRIEND
"Why is the stage there,
where there's no street?
Why not here?
He could go from the stage
directly back into the van."
Avenue Guadalajara is also with Colosio.
Ensenada, here.
Now the residents!
Colosio! Colosio!
We were late coming from La Paz
because of this thing he always did.
He'd walk along the fence
shaking people's hands,
giving autographs,
accepting people's letters.
All the Tijuana residents
gathered here today
to warmly welcome the candidate
and future president of Mexico.
Colosio! Colosio! Colosio!
Keep back, keep back.
You can see it, you can feel it
Colosio is here!
You can see it, you can feel it
Colosio is here!
Welcome, Mr. Candidate!
We're with you!
Hope you read my letter!
I'm also from Magdalena,
Sonora! Urrea!
You know Francisco well,
don't you?
Thank you, thank you.
It was a moment of joy,
happiness, and music.
Hats were being given away.
T-shirts reading "Colosio, yes!"
Ice cream men.
The atmosphere was such
that you were sure he'd win.
Colosio, Colosio! Colosio!
Forward! Forward!
The day of the rally, since I had
already met Mr. Colosio,
I went on stage next to him,
and took the floor.
I wasn't on stage, but he told me
to get up there...
COLOSIO'S CAMPAIGN STAFF
and he told me, "Stay close,
you're coming with me after this."
We founded this community
twelve years ago.
We've worked hard
for all of this.
We've had no hand-outs,
we earned what we have.
All of us here are true believers
of what PRI stands for.
Hurray for PRI!
Yeah!
Come on, come on!
Forward! Forward!
So, I slowly started walking
from the bridge
to get closer to the candidate
and keep an eye on him.
I tried to find a spot
close to my dad.
Let there be no doubt,
here in Tijuana,
and in Baja California,
we're going to win!
We're going to win because
we're getting ready for it!
We were behind the stage,
I didn't even watch his speech.
- Hurray for Tijuana!
- Hurray!
- Hurray for community organization!
- Hurray!
- Hurray for PRI!
- Hurray!
- Hurray for Mexico!
- Hurray!
Suddenly, someone from
the government walked up to me
and told me, "Ma'am,
let's go to the bus.
It will be too crowded later."
So, I went towards the bus,
Luis Donaldo was already done.
And that's when they started
playing this awful music,
at a deafening volume.
The song was called "La Culebra."
When the candidate was about
to step down after the rally,
we arranged ourselves
in a safety formation.
The candidate stepped off stage
and instead of using our formation,
the Secret Service pushed him
towards the crowd.
They failed to lead him towards
the formation we'd prepared.
Men, get in formation!
Make a formation there!
Open up your ranks!
Open the ranks, men!
Let him through!
He stepped down and I stood
next to him, on his left.
We were being pulled
every which way.
They were strong men
forming a kind of wave.
Security formation!
They were clearing a path
for Mr. Colosio.
They led him wherever
they wanted.
I kept trying to push people back,
otherwise, we couldn't move.
I was behind him.
He turned and gestured at me,
I couldn't even lower my arms
since it was so crowded,
so I just grabbed his papers.
I was walking behind
Mr. Colosio,
when I heard someone say,
"Step back, fucker."
I also heard the reply:
"I need to take a photo."
Suddenly, a young man
lunged towards the bus steps
from the outside,
screaming, "They got Colosio!
They got Colosio!"
I was right behind when suddenly,
I heard a loud bang.
I turned and started hearing
people screaming.
The music was so loud that
it drowned out the screams.
I saw a hand like this,
and then the gun fired.
I looked up, thinking that's
where it came from.
He knows who did it!
He can tell us who did it!
Stop beating him!
Chaos reigned.
A few seconds later,
I heard another bang.
I heard like two firecrackers,
so I turned.
He brought his hand up
and started collapsing.
I saw him lying on the ground,
bleeding profusely,
as well as someone
being detained.
I turned and saw my dad
lunge towards Mario Aburto.
He grabbed him and knocked
the gun from his hand.
- Take him out of here!
- He's a cop, man!
Take this bastard away!
That man did it!
Don't let him escape!
Aburto said, "The old man did it,"
and everyone went for my dad.
So many punches were flying
that their own fists
luckily deflected
some of the blows.
People were ready to lynch him,
to kill him right there.
Clear the way!
The Secret Service picked him up
and I followed behind.
Fuck!
And they got him inside
a Chevy Blazer.
Then, they got him down again
and got him into an ambulance.
Get him some help!
Quickly!
- Quickly!
- Move!
If they grabbed him,
we should lynch him!
I called the campaign HQ
and told them.
Zedillo asked me, "How bad is it?"
I said, "Really bad."
As they got him in the ambulance,
Domiro told me,
"Are you riding in the ambulance
or in the truck?"
I took the truck, there were
too many people already.
He told me, "Get in fast
and take cover."
Domiro was holding a gun,
shaking.
He kept looking up,
looking everywhere around.
Domiro told me, "Take cover,
there are snipers here."
In fact, at first they took him
towards the back.
In the opposite direction
of where the exit was.
Just turn him over
to the authorities!
I pushed them, shouting:
"No, the cars are that way!"
It wasn't me!
Kill him!
- Kill him!
- Kill the bastard!
But whenever I looked away,
they'd let go of him.
So, I was forced to stay
very close to them.
Don't hurt him!
He has to confess!
Step aside, step aside!
He has to confess!
You're on camera!
You're being recorded!
You're responsible for that man!
Go, go, go!
Make sure the doors are locked!
Stand back!
I heard someone say,
"Come on! Let's go!
Follow that police car!"
So, the bus started following
a police car,
and took us straight
to the prosecutor's office.
We saw them drag a suspect
out of the police car by the hair.
We said, "This is the wrong place,
take us to the General Hospital."
I ran into another man from
the security and protection group.
He said, "Get in the car, Mayoral."
But I was still looking for my dad.
He told me, "He must've gotten
in another car.
You know how these things are,
you get in any car you can.
Get in the car."
I hadn't seen my dad, but I knew
that if he had been there,
I would've found him easily,
as he would've looked for me.
A shot.
I was with some colleagues,
I was desperate.
I asked to go to the party's HQ,
to see what came next.
Everyone was shaken.
I asked them, "What now?
What are we going to do?"
And they said,
"Calm down, Yolanda.
- We're not doing anything."
- "What the hell do you mean?"
I told them, "They killed him,
they killed our candidate.
He's dead," I told them.
"He's dead."
"We know nothing yet, Yolanda.
Our hands are tied."
We followed the ambulance,
jumping medians and sidewalks.
The ambulance arrived,
followed by the truck I was on.
There was another major
or colonel there with me.
Everyone else was
in the ambulance.
We finally made it
to the General Hospital.
And that's when I saw
Diana Laura arrive.
So, I took her by the arm,
but one of her aides
who was named Gamboa,
sort of signaled me
to keep my mouth shut.
She knew something had happened,
and that he was in the ER,
but she was told that Donaldo
had been struck with a stick.
The General told me,
"I don't dare tell her."
He said, "You should tell her,
you're close with the family."
When Diana got there,
she didn't know who to talk to.
No one else approached her,
so I did it myself.
And she told me, "Federico...
All this for a blow to the head?"
I mean, it was chaos.
It was a circus, every doctor
in the hospital was there,
as well as every nurse,
things were out of control.
So I told her, "No, Diana.
He wasn't struck with a stick.
He was struck with a bullet.
Two, actually.
One in the stomach
that doesn't seem too bad,
and another in the head,
which is really serious."
Diana, well, she collapsed.
O Negative blood.
Let him in!
Let him in!
- Come on!
- O Negative! Let him in!
Let him in or we'll smash
this glass!
Asshole!
- She works here.
- This camera is PRI's.
- Please let me in.
- All right, go ahead.
A Negative!
All right, he's a doctor.
Let him through.
The Director of the Hospital
had now kicked everyone out.
And I heard someone shout:
"Negative type blood!"
After you finish donating blood,
try to get more information.
TV HOST
- We're staying on this story.
- Yes, sir. Thank you.
I had already called Mr. Jacobo
Zabludovsky from the bus.
I had already told him
what was happening.
As I went into the hallway,
Mr. Zabludovsky was still
on the phone with me.
Has Mrs. Colosio given
any statements?
Nothing yet.
She's just praying,
and placing her trust in God
for a good outcome.
Have the doctors told anything
to Mrs. Colosio?
I was caught between a rock
and a hard place.
Between trying to respect
Diana Laura,
and my duty as a journalist.
Talina walked over,
cell phone in hand,
and told Diana,
"It's Jacobo Zabludovsky.
He wants to interview you."
And Diana tells her...
She gestured at her as if
saying no, quite harshly.
I heard Talina walk away
and say something like:
"She's unavailable,"
or something like that.
Diana told me,
"You need to be a raving idiot,
to think I'm going to
give any statements now."
- Please go into the OR.
- I can't, sir.
- Why not?
- Security is tight.
Tell security that all of Mexico
needs to know what's happening.
Talina?
Talina?
Talina Fernández?
When he told me to go in
and tell them he sent me,
I hung up on him.
Don't let them in here!
They are from the PAN party!
- What type of blood do you need?
- We've got it.
- What type?
- I don't know, but we've got it.
People are placing candles
on the hospital stairs.
They are as distraught as we are
in light of this murder attempt.
- Please let him through!
- Let him through!
They took Diana Laura away,
and Dr. Aubanel came out
of that same door.
And she called over
Bishop Berlie.
I tried to go inside,
but they stopped me.
While she closed the door,
the Bishop's eyes met mine.
I went like this,
and he shook his head.
Doctor Aubanel!
Doctor Aubanel!
Dr. Aubanel, what's the condition
of the candidate?
I hear off the record that
Mr. Colosio has died.
- Mr. Colosio has died.
- It's still off the record.
- Mr...
- Wait, I can't...
We're out in the hallway,
there's been no official word,
but a doctor hurrying past me
told me he passed away.
- Who is this doctor, Talina?
- He vanished, sir.
He came out of the OR,
but I wasn't able to follow him.
This is terrible, can we get
immediate confirmation?
This is very serious for Mexico,
for our history, for everyone.
It deeply saddens me
to inform all of you
that despite the efforts
undertaken by the doctors...
COLOSIO'S CAMPAIGN SPOKESMAN
Luis Donaldo Colosio,
PRI candidate
for the presidency of Mexico,
has passed away.
Salinas did it!
Who will be next? Who?
Oh! Who'll be next?
Calm down, Yolanda.
- Sir, did you hear Colosio died?
- Yes, we heard about it on TV.
- What's your opinion?
- It's very sad, a tragic day.
- What's the sentiment in Tijuana?
- We're all deeply sad.
May I?
This is the lack of security
instilled by Gov. Ruffo.
There are shootings every day.
An agent came out holding
a bag with Colosio's clothes.
He said, "What about his clothes?
Shall I give them to you?" I said no.
There was no one else,
so he gave them to me.
I asked Ramiro what to do, he said,
"Give them to Captain Castillo."
So I did, but what a mess,
not knowing who to give them to.
Other politicians
started pouring in.
Manlio Beltrones showed up.
Diana was very fond of him.
He was from Sonora, like Donaldo,
and they were good friends.
Diana told him, "Manlio,
this wasn't part of the plan."
And Manlio replied:
"It wasn't part of our plan,
but it was someone else's."
Clear the way, people.
Clear the way, quickly!
Diana Laura wasn't crying.
She had put on a black suit,
demure like she was.
The General then came in
and told her:
"The plane just landed,
we can go to Mexico City."
As a Mexican, and as a friend of
Luis Donaldo Colosio,
my deepest affection
goes out to his family:
His wife Diana Laura.
His son, Luis Donaldo,
and his daughter, Mariana.
I was told that the killer
who'd acted before hundreds,
was already in custody.
I wanted him alive so we could
question and prosecute him.
COLOSIO'S ALLEGED MURDERER
How long did you prepare
to hurt the candidate?
I won't talk about that.
How much time did he train
with firearms
to hurt the candidate?
And the name of the person
who gave him the gun?
I won't speak.
He won't answer the question.
What's the name of the shooting range
where he trained?
Come on, answer.
- No.
- He won't answer. OK.
What does "Eagle Knight" mean?
I won't answer.
If you wanted to hurt him,
why shoot him in the head?
Why not aim to the body?
You're going to handle this...
No, I'm asking you,
the lawyers are present.
Also, the man is
from the Human Rights Commission.
If you don't believe why we came here,
for free,
here is this gentleman
who is the Human Rights Ombudsman
for the state of Baja California,
he can show you his credentials.
That day, I was in my office...
when I got a call from
Delegate Arturo Ochoa
asking me to witness
Aburto's questioning...
BAJA CALIFORNIA
HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN
in my role as Human Rights
Ombudsman,
so that I'd ensure no torture
took place during questioning.
I'm not afraid of being killed.
You told us that you wanted
to talk to the people on TV,
to the media, we're reaching out
to the people in the media.
Don't you plan on talking to them either?
No? Do you want to talk to them
behind closed doors?
No, I want everyone to know,
but not just one network,
I want several more.
Do you want several more?
They're from channel 33.
We come from channel 33,
it's international.
Do you want us to talk alone?
Can I talk to him?
If we leave you alone with channel 33,
are you going to talk?
Do you want all the press? It's hard
to have all the press in this office.
At some point, the infamous
reporter came in with a camera.
She was a police agent,
but pretended to be a journalist
there to interview Aburto,
because he did ask for that.
He said he wanted to
talk to the media.
He must've found it fishy,
so he didn't tell her anything.
What are your ideals? Why did you attack
the candidate? Was it you?
I won't talk about that.
- You won't talk about it?
- No.
Are they framing you?
What's happening? Did you shoot?
Why are you afraid to testify?
The only thing I can say
to the foreign press,
is that I wrote a book many years ago
and it was delivered to him.
Are you a writer?
I won't say.
Honey, but you're telling me
you wrote a book.
A book about what?
What was the book about?
In any other serious
murder investigation,
the questioning can take
up to four or five hours.
This was less than three hours,
with superficial questions.
You have the press here
and you won't talk, you know what?
You're out of your mind, you're crazy.
Because if your objective
of hurting someone
is to attract the media's attention,
and the media comes
and you keep silent, what are you after?
I told you what kind of media I wanted.
We're not here to fulfill your wishes.
- I'm sorry.
- This is not a hotel.
You're a murderer.
Do you know what can benefit you?
Knowing who fired the other shot.
It can benefit you because maybe your shot
didn't cause the lethal injury.
Maybe the other one did.
Even knowing that it can help you,
you don't want to say who else fired.
Nor do you want to explain...
that shot.
Counsel...
When I was alone with him,
he told me about all that.
On the way from Lomas Taurinas
to the prosecutor's office,
the officers instructed him
to stay quiet.
"You'll declare that you know nothing,
you won't declare,
you won't say anything."
You pointed a gun
at a human being's head and killed him.
Did you think he was going to stay alive?
No. Or what? Yes?
But why were you there?
And you shot from three meters away.
At the feet, not just one leg.
Do you know how much
time they can give you?
It's a 50-year-mistake, sure.
If you are innocent,
why you don't give a statement?
I talked to the Secretary
of the Interior, Jorge Carpizo,
who was there with
the Attorney General,
Diego Valadés.
I asked the Attorney General
to go to Baja California
to get the facts.
Excuse me, excuse me, gentlemen.
Mario Aburto Martínez
fired twice.
ATTORNEY GENERAL (1994)
One straight to the head,
and another in the
abdominal region.
The first shot was fatal.
GOVERNOR OF SONORA, PRI
(1991-1997)
Both shots resulted in
exit wounds.
GOVERNOR OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, PAN
(1989-1995)
He used a Taurus revolver,
.38 special caliber.
Made in Brazil.
He walked into the room,
greeted everyone,
approached the press,
or the press approached him,
and he told them it was
a lone gunman.
I mean, damn.
What a dizzyingly fast
investigation, huh?
He was on a plane,
then in the car, hurrying.
The investigation hadn't started,
I think it never did.
They had a separate meeting.
Gov. Ruffo later told me that
once they were face to face,
Valadés pointed a finger at him
and said: "This is your fault."
First thing he said to me was:
"Your party did this."
Murderers...
- One moment, please.
- an assassination attempt?
One moment, please.
You weren't invited to a show,
this is a press briefing.
- I'm a public servant, let me speak.
- You promised clarity.
- Please let me speak.
- Then, speak.
I'm a serious public servant.
I offered to brief you,
and I have.
If you think that determining
the man responsible,
and how it happened
isn't proper information,
I don't know how it is that
you define "information."
- None of this is new information.
- Moreover...
Days later, the national press
started publishing stories,
saying that Aburto had declared
during his questioning
that he was affiliated with PAN,
which he never did.
Whoever leaked that was trying
to muddy the waters.
They asked him if he had ties
to any parties, armed groups,
or to the Chiapas guerrilla,
but he stayed quiet.
He refused to answer
every single time.
Nava, don't you understand?
Code 3: Calm down.
These are images of another
conspirator being detained.
This is the moment when they arrest
another attacker.
That's when they brought
in Vicente Mayoral.
An old cop from Tijuana.
He was distraught,
shouting desperately.
He recognized me and asked me
to stay there with him.
"They're going to hurt me,
I wasn't involved."
I approached one of the men
stationed on the roundabout.
I told him my name and that
my dad had been detained.
He brought me to the entrance
of the Prosecutor's Office,
and a commander came out,
a strong, burly man.
I told him the same thing.
"Don't worry, it's all been
cleared up," he said.
"In fact, why don't you go home
and reassure your family?
Tell them it's been cleared up,
your dad isn't in any trouble."
I asked how could that be,
since he was locked up.
I stepped out into the hallway
and started opening office doors,
Mario Aburto was in one of them.
A police commander was there
wrapping him in styrofoam.
I saw it myself.
I asked, "What is this?"
He managed to blurt out,
"The thing is,
we're moving him to a basement cell
and don't want him to get hurt."
Meanwhile, Mayoral was screaming
from the other office.
So, I went to him.
Mayoral didn't know anything,
he didn't understand.
In fact, he's the one who
apprehended Mario Aburto.
That's what made them
hate him so much.
My theory is that they wanted
to execute Aburto at the scene.
That would've been
the end of it.
They were foiled when
this man lunged.
He was much taller,
so he covered him.
Still, one of the agents
pointed his gun down,
trying to get a clear shot.
Except Mayoral's son grabbed him
and lifted the gun.
"He's my dad!" He shouted,
that's what foiled the plan.
Plan B, which didn't work either,
was to take him to a military base.
If there was a specific plan
regarding all of this,
it spun out of control.
As I was turning,
I caught a glimpse of him.
PRI GUARD, TIJUANA
(TUCAN GROUP)
Then, I heard a bang.
So I turned, saw people running,
and also saw Aburto
sort of ducking low,
so I lunged at him.
I wasn't right in front,
but a little off center.
I could've been killed.
The next morning, I went
to the presidential hangar,
to receive the coffin,
and talk to Diana Laura.
She told me something
that I still find haunting:
"This was supposed to be
the other way around."
I knew exactly what she meant.
Donaldo was to look after their kids
after she passed away.
Despite her immense grief,
what weighed most on her
was how her absence
would impact her children.
Gov. Manlio Beltrones and his wife
are arriving now,
holding Diana Laura Riojas,
Colosio's widow, by the arm.
The bullets of hatred,
resentment, and cowardice...
COLOSIO´S WIDOW
have snuffed the life
of Luis Donaldo.
COLOSIO'S FATHER
He thought he had the answer
for a Mexico hungry for justice.
That's why he wanted
to become president.
I, who had the fortune
and the privilege
and the blessing from God
to be with him,
and to form a family with him...
I can tell you that he was
a wonderful father.
An exemplary husband.
Here, in Magdalena de Kino,
land of missionaries,
we say goodbye to a man
who made a true impact.
On behalf of my family,
my children Luis Donaldo
and Mariana,
myself, and especially on behalf
of my husband Luis Donaldo,
I thank you for being here.
Thank you very much.
MEXICO CITY
It's time to honor the memory
of Luis Donaldo Colosio.
That's what matters most.
Above all else, we have
a responsibility
to avoid making comments
or giving statements
about possible suspects
or motives.
Who did this? Who did this?
Who did this? Who did this?
The President is now leaving
the auditorium.
LIVE FROM PRI'S HQ
IN MEXICO CITY
Chanting, "Who did this?"
PRI members seem to demand
a proper resolution to the case
of the candidate's murder.
Who did this? Who did this?