The resurfacing of a video featuring former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, in which he acknowledged that one of his sons had a friendship with businessman Amílcar Olán Aparicio, has returned to public attention after Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, known as Andy, denied on November 3 having ties of complicity or business dealings with the businessman.
- Context: The footage dates from 2024, when the then-president addressed a recording in which a person allegedly spoke on behalf of one of his sons to secure contracts.
- Andy's stance: The former Morena organization secretary rejected having intervened to benefit Olán with public contracts and described the accusations as a smear campaign.
- Underlying issues: The allegations revolve around suspected government contracts and possible links to fuel smuggling, known as huachicol fiscal.
What López Obrador said in the video
During that appearance, the former president acknowledged that a businessman identified as a friend of one of his sons had business interests and served as a supplier, and that he allegedly used his relative's name to seek government contracts.
“Un amigo de mis hijos, o de uno de mis hijos, tiene negocios, es proveedor y habla por teléfono en nombre de uno de mis hijos para que le den un contrato”, he said.
However, the then-president denied that his son was involved in those efforts and maintained that there was no evidence proving his participation. In the same remarks, he explained that he had spoken with Andy and with his other son, Gonzalo López Beltrán, known as Bobby, about the content of the recording, and he questioned the dissemination of fragments of conversations obtained through telephone intercepts.
Andy acknowledges friendship but denies business ties
In the video released this Tuesday from Tabasco, López Beltrán explained that he met Olán Aparicio in Villahermosa, when the latter was engaged in the sale and distribution of finishes, flooring, natural stone and construction materials. He asserted that knowing the businessman does not mean he maintains commercial partnerships with him or has intervened to secure contracts for him in public agencies.
He recalled that since July 22, 2024, he had issued a statement rejecting that he or members of his family recommended individuals or companies to government institutions. Among the allegations he rejected are:
- Maintaining commercial partnerships with Amílcar Olán.
- Using front men to conduct business.
- Managing contracts or public resources to benefit third parties.
- Having relations of complicity with people involved in huachicol fiscal.
- Intervening with officials of the Secretaría de Marina to favor activities related to illegal fuel trafficking.
In his message, Andy described the publications about his alleged links to the businessman and fuel smuggling as a smear campaign with political motives. He directly named businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, journalist Carlos Loret de Mola and Ramón Alberto Garza, whom he accused of taking part in spreading the allegations against him.
“Es falso que tengamos relaciones de complicidad, socios, prestanombres o que trafiquemos con influencias para beneficiarnos. Nunca jamás han podido presentar una sola prueba”, he stated.
He also denied having held conversations with Navy officials to intervene in activities related to illegal fuel trafficking.
FBI allegation and the Farías Laguna case
Another point addressed by López Beltrán was the case of Fernando Farías Laguna, a retired rear admiral detained in Argentina on April 23, 2026 and later transferred to Mexico to face justice.
Andy claimed that agents of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) allegedly offered protection and immunity to the former naval officer and his family in exchange for implicating him and his father in the allegations. The Morena figure maintained that the accusations lack elements demonstrating his involvement in illegal activities and rejected any connection to an alleged fuel smuggling network.
Regarding Amílcar Olán's situation, available information indicates that the businessman filed for an injunction in March 2026 against the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) and the Army, fearing possible actions against him. To date, federal authorities have not confirmed a formal arrest warrant or a direct criminal charge against Olán or López Beltrán over these allegations.
The reappearance of the 2024 material and Andy's public response keep open a front that combines the debate over influence in public contracting with political and media dispute. The outcome will depend on whether judicial bodies and federal authorities provide elements to clarify the allegations, while both figures maintain conflicting versions about the scope of their relationship.