More than two decades after the murder of Paco Stanley, a new documentary aims to reignite debate surrounding one of the most controversial cases in Mexican television history. Titled Witnesses: The Truth Has a Voice – The Paco Stanley Case, the production is led by Juan Carlos Uribe and journalist Arleth Garibay. It features testimonies from individuals who claim to have had firsthand knowledge of the events and who are currently protected by U.S. authorities.
During the project’s official presentation, the filmmakers said the documentary offers previously undisclosed information about the television host’s murder, including details related to the alleged mastermind, the gunman who carried out the crime, and the motives that may have led to the killing.
According to Juan Carlos Uribe, producer of the documentary and founder of the streaming platform Reellee TV, the investigation was conducted over several months and is based on statements from former law enforcement officers and former members of criminal organizations who decided to speak out after years of silence.
Te podría interesar
“Former judicial police officers from Jalisco, now under the protection of the U.S. government, reveal who gave the order, who the hitman was, and why Francisco Stanley was killed.”
ALSO READ: “El Chapo” Sends His 11th Letter Seeking Sentence Review and Return to Mexico
Uribe said fear of possible retaliation kept the witnesses from speaking publicly for years, but that they are now willing to share their version of events.
Who Killed Paco Stanley? Documentary: Witnesses, The Truth Has a Voice
One of the documentary’s central elements is the participation of three protected witnesses who, according to the production team, cooperated with U.S. authorities in several investigations related to drug trafficking.
“These three witnesses were recruited by the DEA and the U.S. government to assist in investigations related to the death of DEA agent Enrique Camarena.”
The producer explained that those interviewed were once part of criminal structures in past decades and had access to privileged information about various events that shaped the country’s history.
“This is a historical documentary. As you saw, these witnesses were former agents of the Jalisco State Federal Police during the 1980s, and the police assigned them to protect drug traffickers operating at that time. Many of them were present during several significant events in the country.”
Among the statements generating the most anticipation is the claim that one of the witnesses directly witnessed the moment when the order was given to kill the television host.
“One of them was present when the order was given to the hitman to kill Mr. Stanley. Nobody knows that yet. People ask: Where was the order given? To whom was it given? Who gave it? Why was it given? Everything is clarified there.”
Although the names of the alleged individuals involved were not disclosed during the presentation, the filmmakers maintain that the documentary will allow viewers to reconstruct the events from a perspective different from the one known until now.
Another topic explored in the production is the situation of Mario Bezares and Paola Durante, both of whom were accused and even faced legal proceedings following the murder. According to the testimonies presented, both would be completely cleared of any involvement in the crime.
“One of the witnesses, Mr. Godoy, makes it clear that Mr. Bezares, Ms. Durante, ‘El Cholo,’ and all those implicated were not colluding, were not threatened, and were not involved in any way. This was handled by the government of that era in the manner it chose. There are no more assumptions—this documentary reveals the whole truth.”
Uribe added that some of the witnesses would even be willing to publicly apologize to those who were accused in the past.
“To apologize to Mario Bezares and Paola Durante because they had nothing to do with Paco Stanley’s death, yet they were imprisoned.”
In addition to revisiting the Stanley case, the documentary examines the context of drug trafficking and the networks of power that operated in Mexico during those years, a subject that, according to the producer, is part of a broader documentary series.
“It is a series that is already on the air and explores that period extensively, including what really happened in the Camarena case. That is the other side of the story—the dark side that very few people know.”
Witnesses: The Truth Has a Voice – The Paco Stanley Case is part of the original programming lineup of Reellee TV, a platform created by Mexicans living in Los Angeles with the goal of promoting content focused on Latin American stories.
As for the release date, the production has not yet announced a specific premiere day. However, Uribe said the documentary has already been filmed and is currently in the final stages of post-production.
“I’m heading back to finish it. It has already been filmed and recorded; we’re going to complete the editing so it will be ready within two, three, or four weeks at most,” he concluded.
djh