Por Agencies
Redaccion@latinocc.com
The leader of Mexico’s powerful evangelical megachurch La Luz del Mundo has pleaded not guilty to new sex trafficking charges in a federal court in New York, even as he serves a prison term in California for sexually abusing minors.
Naasón Joaquín García, 56, appeared before a judge after prosecutors unsealed an indictment accusing him, his mother, and four associates of orchestrating a wide-ranging scheme to traffic women and children into the United States through the church.
The charges include sex trafficking, child pornography, forced labor, and financial crimes. García, through his attorney, rejected the allegations as “recycled claims” that had already been examined and dismissed in prior proceedings.
García is currently serving a 16-year sentence in California after pleading guilty in 2022 to sexually abusing three underage girls from his congregation in Los Angeles. He was arrested in 2019 and has been behind bars ever since.
Prosecutors in New York say García and his co-defendants used their influence as church leaders to target vulnerable members of their congregation, exploiting their faith to manipulate, intimidate, and silence victims.
“They exploited the faith of their followers to prey upon them. When confronted, they used religious authority and financial power to coerce victims into keeping quiet about the abuse,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement.
The indictment alleges that García’s abusive conduct followed a pattern set by previous leaders of La Luz del Mundo.
His father, Samuel Joaquín Flores, and his grandfather, church founder Eusebio Joaquín González — known as “Aarón” — are accused of engaging in similar predatory practices dating back to the church’s origins in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1926.
According to court documents, young girls and women were told they could receive a “special blessing” by serving church leaders, which in practice often meant coerced sexual acts.
Founded nearly a century ago, La Luz del Mundo, translated as Light of the World, has grown into one of the largest evangelical movements in Mexico, with branches in dozens of countries.
The church claims millions of adherents worldwide, though independent figures are difficult to verify.
The group wields particular influence in parts of California with large Hispanic populations, where García frequently visited before his arrest.
Church followers refer to him as “the Apostle of Jesus Christ,” and many have remained loyal to him despite his conviction in California.
COLOMBIA
The United States has revoked Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa after he urged U.S. soldiers to defy President Donald Trump during a protest in New York, escalating tensions between the longtime allies.
Petro, in the city for the U.N. General Assembly, joined demonstrators Friday against Israel’s war in Gaza. “Don’t point your rifles against humanity. Disobey the orders of Trump,” he told American troops.
The State Department later announced the visa revocation, calling Petro’s words “reckless and incendiary.”
Officials declined to say whether the move would block future visits.
Petro returned to Bogotá on Saturday as scheduled, saying on X that he only learned of the decision upon arrival.
He dismissed the punishment, noting his dual European citizenship allows him to travel visa-free.
The clash adds to frictions that have tested U.S.-Colombia relations.
Earlier this month Washington accused Bogotá of failing to fully cooperate on anti-narcotics efforts.
In his U.N. speech, Petro demanded a criminal probe into Trump over U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean.
He has also severed ties with Israel, calling its offensive in Gaza “genocide.”
Colombia has long been Washington’s closest partner in Latin America, central to counter-drug operations. But Petro, a former leftist guerrilla, has repeatedly clashed with Trump’s administration over deportations, trade threats and security policy.
For now, Petro appears undeterred.
“International law grants me immunity to go to the U.N.,” he said. “There should be no reprisals for my free opinion, because I am a free person.”
ECUADOR
A clash between Indigenous demonstrators and Ecuadorian security forces over rising fuel prices left one protester dead and 12 soldiers injured Sunday, authorities and rights groups said.
The confrontation occurred in a rural Andean community north of Quito as protests entered their seventh day against President Daniel Noboa’s decision to end a diesel subsidy.
The price rose from $1.80 to $2.80 per gallon under the Sept. 12 order.
The Regional Foundation for Human Rights Advice said a 46-year-old man “died after being shot.”
The Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, or CONAIE, the country’s largest Indigenous organization, blamed the government for “repression” that also left another demonstrator critically injured.
Ecuador’s Prosecutor’s Office said it has opened an investigation into the death, deploying a specialized team to examine possible unlawful use of force.
The Armed Forces reported that soldiers were attacked while guarding a food convoy, claiming they were “ambushed” by infiltrated groups. Officials offered no further details.
Noboa has accused the protests of being infiltrated by organized crime and illegal mining groups.
Meanwhile, CONAIE president Marlon Vargas rejected the accusation, denouncing what he called state repression and urging international observers to monitor the situation.
Authorities say more than 80 people have been arrested since the demonstrations began, and 13 face terrorism charges.
A state of emergency and nightly curfews remain in effect in provinces with large Indigenous populations.
On social media, the church dismissed the latest charges, calling them “unfounded, untrue and slanderous.”
The case underscores mounting legal pressure on La Luz del Mundo, which has faced repeated allegations of abuse against its leaders over decades.
Human rights advocates say the organization’s tight hierarchy and reverence for its top leaders create an environment where victims struggle to come forward.
If convicted in New York, García could face additional decades in prison, extending his incarceration well beyond his current 16-year term. His co-defendants, including his mother, remain under investigation.
The church, headquartered in Guadalajara, continues to hold services and has announced no changes in leadership, despite its leader’s imprisonment and ongoing prosecution.
