Gunman Sought to Highlight Uprising, Transcript Says

TIJUANA — The confessed assassin of Mexican presidential candidate Luis Donaldo Colosio said he wanted to call attention to the Indian uprising in southern Mexico, according to a transcript of his interrogation.

Mario Aburto Martinez also told interrogators that he was covering up for others and that he belonged to a political group with thousands of members. He did not, however, identify those he was protecting or affiliated with.

Rumors of a conspiracy in the March 23 assassination have been plentiful in Mexico, although Mexican investigators say they have no evidence of a wide conspiracy. A man hired to help provide security at the rally is also being held.

Aburto spoke during an interrogation by Mexican federal investigators soon after Colosio was gunned down. A copy of the 33-page transcript of Aburto’s interrogation was obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune and published Friday.

Aburto has admitted shooting Colosio, the Aug. 21 election favorite. In the transcript, he said he only intended to slightly wound him and then use the resulting attention to air his views. “But when I raised my weapon, somebody bumped me or shoved me,” Aburto, 23, was quoted as saying.

He said his motive was to focus attention on the Chiapas uprising.