The former governor of Baja California, Jaime Bonilla, stated that the video in which he is attributed threats against Governor Marina del Pilar is false and part of a political strategy.
The former governor of Baja California, Jaime Bonilla, has firmly denied the authenticity of a video circulated on July 27 on the social network X by journalist Luis Chaparro. In the recording, a voice attributed to Bonilla says:
“I’m going to break Marina’s face, for as long as I have life.”Bonilla described the material as a “smokescreen” from the state government to divert attention from other scandals.
In an interview with Brújula News, Bonilla claimed he does not recognise “the place, the date, or the people” appearing in the video. He also asserted that the material “lacks evidential quality” and that, with artificial intelligence, “anyone’s voice can be cloned.” He challenged those accusing him to specify “the date, the place, and the names of the people who are there.”
The former governor also accused the Baja California Government of using the video as part of a strategy to hold him responsible for the situation of Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda. According to Bonilla, it is “another smokescreen to distract from the audios that have the governor against the wall.”
Journalist Luis Chaparro, who disseminated the video, suggested that the anger in the recorded meeting might stem from a multimillion-dollar contract related to a photovoltaic plant. Local media reported that the State Government has filed complaints against Bonilla and six former officials regarding this matter.
Bonilla, for his part, stated that if the video refers to the photovoltaic plant, “that was not a contract” of his, but “of a company,” and challenged anyone to prove his involvement.
The case is set against a backdrop of escalating confrontation between Bonilla and Governor Marina del Pilar, which intensified since June when journalist Héctor de Mauleón published a series of four audio recordings in El Universal, in which the governor is heard conversing with individuals presented as intermediaries or external advisors from the FBI.
The recordings, published between June 22 and July 27, include conversations about a possible private meeting at the US consulate in Tijuana, a phrase from an external FBI advisor telling the governor that US agencies “feel they have wasted their time” with her, a supposed arranged meeting in Panama with the DHS and the State Department, and the identification of an alleged former FBI agent as an advisor.
Marina del Pilar acknowledged the authenticity of the audios but maintained that she was a victim of a trap set by Bonilla. During her morning conference on July 15, she claimed that the former governor contacted her via WhatsApp to ask her to meet with people who would discuss her cancelled visa. The governor asserted that these intermediaries were impostors pretending to be agents or links from the United States to record her and use the material for political purposes in the pre-electoral context of Baja California.
Marina del Pilar also stated that the audios were edited and taken out of context, denied having provided information that compromised national security, and rejected accusations of treason against the homeland.
The confrontation between the two politicians is not new and dates back to Bonilla’s tenure as governor, which ended in 2021. Since then, tensions have been rising, especially in light of the 2027 elections in Baja California. Meanwhile, the video of the threats and the governor’s audios remain subjects of investigation and public debate.
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