Ronaldo Luis Mosqueda Toledo, a 17-year-old teenager who had accused Andy Santana Zamora, the treasurer of Miami-Dade's mayoral campaign for Cuban influencer Alexander Otaola, of having sexual relations with him, retracted his statement on Friday and reported that his initial declaration was made under threat.
"I came to tell the truth. The statement to the police was made under threats and pressure, and it was completely false," said the teenager to Univisión journalist Javier Díaz.
In his new version of events, Mosqueda Toledo claimed that he was threatened with death if he did not acknowledge the facts before the authorities. “One night, while I was walking through the park, a hooded person approached me; they threatened me and said that if I did not make that statement, I would be killed. They knew where I studied, as well as the times I entered and left school,” he stated.
Regarding the photos on social media in which he appears affectionately with Santana Zamora, Mosqueda Toledo downplayed the matter, stating that “a Cuban knows that a kiss can be given to anyone and that it doesn't mean anything significant.” He recounted that the prosecutor asked him the same question, to which he responded, “those photos were taken to make an ex-partner jealous.”
The teenager emphasized before the cameras that "Andy Santana is innocent, he is not a pedophile, he is not a sick person, he did not commit any kind of assault," and maintained that they were just friends and did not have any sexual relationships.
At the beginning of October, Santana Zamora was arrested for alleged illegal sexual activity with a minor. Otaola spoke out on social media about the matter, stating: “Today we woke up to a sadly embarrassing news for me and my team: the arrest of the campaign treasurer, who is being investigated for a reprehensible charge.”
If the accusation had been proven, Santana Zamora could have faced up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, as the age of consent in Florida is 18. Any sexual activity with someone under that age is considered illegal and may result in a second-degree felony, according to Leppard Law.
According to Otaola, who was dismissed by the minor regarding his knowledge of the events, the arrest of his treasurer is being used on social media and in the press to "undermine my reputation and my work, attempting to discredit my complaints and my political activism."
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