They denounce the mismanagement of the Cooperativa Cruz Azul: they paid nearly 200 million pesos to irregular companies

With more than 80 years, the cooperative Cruz Azul could be considered as a success of cooperativism in Mexico: it is one of the main cement producers of the country, it has a football team and a five-star hotel . But there is another reality. Co-op resources have been allocated to a group of companies that bill for supposed "consulting", "public relations" or "administrative process" services.

In addition, For years, its leaders have taken millions of dollars to the cooperative to bring them into tax havens.

At least since 2016, the general management of Cruz Azul authorized the payment of amounts in millionaire to the companies which charge services of "council", "public relations", "administrative processes" and "strategic budget management for development and growth plans".

A survey conducted by Mexicanos against corruption and impunity (MCCI) resulted in copies of 51 invoices issued by 15 different companies for alleged services rendered to the Cruz Azul cooperative. These documents show that since January 2016 and until the end of 2017, they leftat least 191 million 768,000 pesos from the cooperative through these companiesairlock.

In one day, March 9, 2017, two of these companies – Corporativo Facundia and Social Development Verseny – issued five invoices to recover consulting services that would have been entrusted to the Cruz Azul cooperative. The sum of these tax revenues is 16 million 588,000 pesos.

In a commercial place of Metepec, in the State of Mexico, where a maximum of 12 commercial premises are distributed on the ground floor and on two floors, there are the offices of Aura Social Development and Corporate Facundia, two companies that pay for consultancy fees between two and six million pesos.

In the city of Puebla, in a one-story building with worn brown paint and accessories on the ground floor, There is the Attar 2715 S.C. office, another company that also charges between two and five million pesos for a consultation.

These are the amounts that the Cruz Azul cooperative paid to these three companies and, at least, Twelve other companies, most of which have as their object "the provision of office, administration and business services to individuals and companies".

Many of these companies have coincidences with each other: six of them were created between January and February 2015. Some were established in the notaries of the city of Puebla, but their tax homes are located in Metepec, in the state of Mexico. Others share the same legal representative. And many have their offices in small commercial places.

One of these companies, Attar 2715 S.C, was designated by the National Electoral Institute (INE) as part of an irregular funding mechanism during the last electoral process. In addition, in January 2019, the Tax Administration Service (SAT) included it in the list of companies that would carry out simulated transactions.

Among the invoices that MCCI has, and which have been issued to collect services supposedly provided to the Cruz Azul cooperative, Two were discovered by a company that was investigated by various authorities.

Between October and December 2016, theThe directors of the Cooperativa Cruz Azul have authorized at least two payments to the company Attar 2715 S.C., according to the copies of the invoices with which MCCI has.

One of the invoices, dated October 28, 2016, it was issued for consulting services which resulted in an expense of two million 610,000 pesos. The second invoice, issued on December 16 of the same year, also concerned a consulting firm. In this case, the tax receipt was five million 800,000 pesos.

Attar 2715 S.C. It was created on April 15, 2016. Its offices are located right in front of the language school of the Autonomous University of Puebla Benemérita, in a building with worn brown paint and which is mainly occupied by commercial premises.

In May 2018, the General Council of the National Electoral Institute (INE) indicated that Attar 2715 S.C. was part of an irregular funding mechanism that Jaime Rodríguez "El Bronco" had used to obtain the signatures of citizens who approves his independent candidacy to the presidency of the Republic.

In January 2019, the SAT included Attar 2715 S.C. in the list of "presumed" taxpayers with simulated transactions, to issue tax revenue "without having badets, personnel, infrastructure or physical ability to provide services or produce, market or deliver the goods that cover these vouchers "

The Cruz Azul cooperative was created in 1931. Today, with about 800 members of co-operatives, is one of the leading producers and distributors of cement in the country: Its annual production is around 10 million tonnes.

In addition to its four cement production plants in Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla and Aguascalientes, The Cruz Azul cooperative also has a five-star hotel, a first division football team and other companies.