Juan Velásquez, known as "the devil's advocate" for his successful defense of various prominent figures, passed away last weekend. Velásquez was recognized for having kept many of his clients out of prison, including former presidents Luis Echeverría and José López Portillo, Olympic medalist Joaquín Capilla, muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Cardinal Norberto Rivera, among others.
One of Velásquez's most notable cases was the defense of former president Luis Echeverría when the Supreme Court of Justice ordered him to be prosecuted for his responsibility in the Tlatelolco massacre in 1968. Despite a detention order against him, Echeverría managed to serve house arrest until 2009, thanks to Velásquez's legal skill. The lawyer recalled in an interview that even the special prosecutor had assured that Echeverría would end up in prison, but they ultimately managed to avoid it.
Juan Velásquez died at the age of 77 without having spent a single day in prison. The Faculty of Law of the National Autonomous University of Mexico announced his death through a statement. The lawyer, who had been a professor at UNAM, also defended police chief Arturo 'El Negro' Durazo during the government of José López Portillo.
With a career of over 50 years and an apparently unbeaten defense, Juan Velásquez left his mark on the Mexican legal world.
