Calderón receives Santiago Medal
Original reporting: El Imparcial
What happened
El Imparcial reports: The recognition was given by the mayor of Santiago, Mario Desderas, while the legacy of the former Mexican president remains under debate for his sexenium's security decisions and his public security secretary's case
Reporting and context
Former Mexican President Felipe Calderón received Santiago’s municipal Medal of Santiago in Chile, according to El Imparcial. The outlet reported that Santiago Mayor Mario Desbordes presented the award and that the diploma cited Calderón’s leadership on democracy, the rule of law, the environment, and Latin American integration. Calderón described the recognition as “a high honor” in material he shared on X.
The ceremony comes as Calderón’s 2006–2012 security strategy remains part of Mexico’s public debate. His administration deployed the armed forces in operations against drug trafficking and organized crime. Human Rights Watch documented allegations of torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other abuses involving security forces during that period, as reported by El Imparcial.
The report also notes the later U.S. case against Genaro García Luna, Calderón’s former public-security secretary. A federal jury in New York convicted García Luna in 2023 on drug-trafficking-related counts and false-statement charges, and he was sentenced in 2024. The U.S. Department of Justice said García Luna provided assistance to the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for bribes. The conviction concerned García Luna; El Imparcial reported no criminal charge or conviction against Calderón in that case.