Elenio Meza Loera

Investigative Journalist and Data Specialist

Elenio Meza Loera is an investigative journalist specializing in the auditing of public resources, the financial analysis of government management, and data journalism in the region. His work focuses on tracking budget flows, state contracts, and regulatory backgrounds to audit the exercise of power using a methodology strictly based on official documents.

At Foco Rojo, he leads database cross-referencing and documentary verification for in-depth reports. His work ensures that each investigation is fortified by rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis, offering readers a transparent, verifiable perspective free from political speculation.

Manuel Baldizón: Update on the case in 2026, the two closures in 2024, the 103 seized properties, and what may be reopened

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Manuel Baldizón ended 2024 without any open criminal cases against him in Guatemala. Judge Abelina Cruz closed the Odebrecht case on July 26, and Judge Mario Hichos closed the Transurbano case on November 29. However, neither judge evaluated the evidence. Almost two years later, his case remains in this section because some aspects have not … Read more about Manuel Baldizón: Update on the case in 2026, the two closures in 2024, the 103 seized properties, and what may be reopened

Alejandro Toledo: Updates on the Case in 2026, the Third Request to Washington, Section 4 Without a Trial, and Upcoming Dates

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Alejandro Toledo is the only key figure in this series who is currently serving a definitive prison sentence. That is why the focus is not on whether he will be convicted, but on what charges remain to be tried and when. However, in 2026, three developments took place. In January, Judge Richard Concepción Carhuancho authorized … Read more about Alejandro Toledo: Updates on the Case in 2026, the Third Request to Washington, Section 4 Without a Trial, and Upcoming Dates

Juan Carlos Varela: The Odebrecht Case That Panama Prosecuted for Others but Not for Him—What’s Needed to Close It and What’s Holding It Up

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Juan Carlos Varela watched as the trial over the Odebrecht bribery scandal in Panama began, proceeded, and concluded without him. The ordinary proceedings against Ricardo Martinelli and his former ministers ended on February 27, 2026. In contrast, Varela’s case was still in the evidence-admissibility phase before the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court as of … Read more about Juan Carlos Varela: The Odebrecht Case That Panama Prosecuted for Others but Not for Him—What’s Needed to Close It and What’s Holding It Up

Susana Villarán: The Case That Remains Unresolved Seven Years After the Confession—What’s Needed for a Verdict, and What Could Overturn It Before Then

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On May 11, 2019, Susana Villarán confessed that she had accepted US$10 million from Odebrecht and OAS for her campaigns. Seven years later, no verdict has been handed down. Her trial began on September 23, 2025, and is still ongoing. The second case, involving the Rutas de Lima tolls, doesn’t even have an indictment yet. … Read more about Susana Villarán: The Case That Remains Unresolved Seven Years After the Confession—What’s Needed for a Verdict, and What Could Overturn It Before Then

Sérgio Cabral: The Whistleblower Who Confessed to US$100 Million, the Plea Deal That the Supreme Court Overturned, and the Witnesses Whose Convictions Stood

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Sérgio Cabral is the most contradictory whistleblower in this series. In February 2019, after he had already been convicted and imprisoned, he signed a cooperation agreement with the Brazilian Federal Police. He confessed to having accepted large bribes and to having US$100 million abroad. Two years later, the Federal Supreme Court annulled that agreement. The … Read more about Sérgio Cabral: The Whistleblower Who Confessed to US$100 Million, the Plea Deal That the Supreme Court Overturned, and the Witnesses Whose Convictions Stood

Emilio Lozoya: The Whistleblower Who Spoke Out for Half a Presidential Term, the Agreement the Prosecutor’s Office Rejected, and What His Testimony Actually Achieved in Six Years

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Emilio Lozoya is the only defendant in this case who attempted to become a witness against his own government. Upon his extradition to Mexico in July 2020, the former director of Pemex requested to be granted leniency. In other words, he sought to testify against others in exchange for benefits. For three years, he implicated … Read more about Emilio Lozoya: The Whistleblower Who Spoke Out for Half a Presidential Term, the Agreement the Prosecutor’s Office Rejected, and What His Testimony Actually Achieved in Six Years

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero: The Early Warning Signs of the Plus Ultra Case, the Three Dates That Could Change It, and the Evidence That Does Not Yet Exist

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José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is the first former prime minister of Spain to be charged by the National Court. That happened in May 2026. Five months later, the case remains under investigation: there is no trial, no formal indictment, and no verdict. That is why it has been included in Early Alerts. This article does … Read more about José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero: The Early Warning Signs of the Plus Ultra Case, the Three Dates That Could Change It, and the Evidence That Does Not Yet Exist