MEXICO CITY _ A former Mexican governor who fled the country to avoid corruption charges has been arrested in Guatemala, authorities said.
Former Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte had been on the run since October, shortly after he resigned Oct. 2. He was accused of money laundering, involvement with organized crime and various acts of fraud.
Duarte was arrested Saturday in Guatemala and will be extradited to face charges in Mexico, according Mexican prosecutors.
Once seen as a promising young member of Mexico's long-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party, Duarte became a symbol of the corruption engrained deep in Mexico's institutions. He is one of several former governors who are facing charges of corruption.
Prosecutors have accused him of setting up shell companies to divert public money for his private use and of having connections to the criminal groups that have made Veracruz one of Mexico's most violent states.
