The Empire Strikes Back – Soberanía 105

ByMexico Solidarity

In episode 105 of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth dissect the U.S. government’s extradition request for Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya — and why the timing looks less like justice and more like retaliation.

The episode opens with a breakdown of the indictment, highlighting three red flags: the U.S. made it public within hours of notifying Mexico; they requested provisional arrest without providing evidence; and the charges rely on testimony from protected witnesses — likely the Chapitos — whose credibility is compromised. All of this comes just days after the Chihuahua scandal, where CIA agents were caught operating illegally with a PAN governor.

The conversation then examines the newly released U.S. National Drug Control Strategy, which prioritizes militarized interdiction and “the healing power of faith” over public health — revealing that U.S. drug policy is about imperial control, not solving addiction.

Finally, they turn to Morena’s new party president, Adriana Montiel, a former wellbeing secretary who helped build Mexico’s social programs inside the territory. Her first act? Expressing solidarity with Cuba — a promising shift for a party needing territory work, not spotlight seekers.

Losers and Haters takes aim at a New York Times piece on Cuba’s May Day march, which the hosts dismantle as propaganda: unscientific surveys, unsubstantiated claims, and an “embattled president” framing that ignores the actual U.S. blockade causing the crisis.