Cabinet AMLO: the story of the controversies behind the renewal of its secretaries

The start of 2023 gave the flag to the home stretch of Andrés Manuel’s sexennium Lopez Obrador (AMLO), who in December 2018 showed the federal cabinet with which he would administer the first government in charge of the self-proclaimed Fourth Transformation (4T).

This is how Olga Sánchez Cordero, Esteban Moctezuma, Alfonso Durazo and Graciela Márquez – among other officials – presented themselves as the heads of some of the offices of the Obradorist government and who, four years later, were added to three titles; this is the highest figure that the current six-year term has recorded in at least six secretariats.

It should be mentioned that these fluctuations were also carried out with the two direct predecessors of the native of Tabasco, Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018) and Felipe Calderón Hinojosa (2006-2012), who even had four or five title changes in the same unit for various reasons (between death, aspirations to public service or health problems).

Of course, the changes that the López Obrador government added to its dependencies with the most designations were also due to different circumstances. However, some of them stood out for the controversy they triggered in public opinion, such was the case of the Ministry of Public Instruction (SEP) now chaired by Leticia Ramirez Amaya.

The appointment of the former head of Citizen Attention was controversial, because although he graduated as a primary school teacher at the National Teachers’ School of Benemerita, the official He has practiced for more than two decades outside of teaching.

To this was added the acid criticism launched at its predecessor Delfina Gomez Alvarezwho left office to focus on his candidacy for the governorship of the State of Mexico (Edomex) for the Movimiento Regeneración Nacional (Morena); elections that sparked criticism against him for the “tithes” withheld from workers in the municipality of Texcoco in 2019.

Meanwhile, Gómez Álvarez’s predecessor, Esteban Montezumawas strongly criticized for “passing the baton” of the post in the midst of the scourge of the COVID-19 in Mexico, which has resulted in high rates of school essays, the adaptation of the face-to-face education system to the online one and uncertainty about the eventual return to the classroom. Currently, the official works as the Mexican Ambassador to the United States (USA).

The unexpected resignation at the Ministry of the Economy

The property of the Ministry of Economy (SE) It stood out for being one of the dependencies that for the first time would be led by a woman: a characteristic was respected in its three names, the first being that of Graciela MarquezColineconomist who, after leaving office, in December 2020, became the first woman to chair the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).

In this way, Tatiana Clouthier she entered as the new economics secretary, who nearly two years later publicly announced her unexpected resignation: “My opportunity to join the team has run out,” she said from the Palace lectern national in a broken voice, followed by “hug not given” to López Obrador – and which has caused unknowns due to an alleged annoyance on his part, since the departure of the morenista aroused in the midst of the controversy between Mexico and Canada and the United States for non-compliance with the T-MEC trade agreement.

Finally, the Secretariat was left in the hands of Raquel Buenrostro, arrived with academic and intellectual support for his tenure as head of the Tax Administration Service (SAT). Note that with the departure of Buenrostro Sánchez, the SAT has also joined a third appointment in its direction: the accountant Antonio Martínez Dagnino. The first incumbent was the current Minister Ana Margarita Ríos Farjat who, precisely, resigned before her appointment to the Supreme Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN).

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Ministry of Finance: the dispute with AMLO and the controversial face

The Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) he was one of those who recorded the most fluctuations in his ownership since the previous governments until that of 4T; and that of López Obrador was no exception.

However, the two changes that the said agency has recorded during the current six-year term have also been the subject of controversy. The first, due to the disagreement that led to the first secretary, Carlos Urzua, to resign from office in July 2019: “He is not satisfied with the decisions we are making”, was López Obrador’s justification, which Urzúa then completed by stating that these differences arose because “political decisions have taken in this administration without sufficient support.”

Thus, Andrés Manuel formalized the arrival of Arturo Herrera as the new Secretary of the Treasury through a video that caught the attention of the particular expression of the face that the official went viral on social networks, which hinted at unease at his appointment, and which was clarified soon after by Herrera Gutiérrez himself.

Two years later, the president formalizes the second relay within the Treasury: it is Rogelio Ramirez de la O. who replaced Arturo Herrera to be proposed for the post of Governor of the Bank of Mexico (Banxico). However, her appointment to the institution was not even discussed in Congress, since López Obrador decided to withdraw her and announce in her place Victoria Rodríguez Ceja: “We want women to participate”, he said. he declares.

Today, Herrera Gutiérrez is Global Director of Governance at the World Bank.

The “dispute” of the ex-boss of Transport for security policy

Almost a year after Urzúa’s resignation from the Treasury, López Obrador’s cabinet again suffered a loss of “disputes” in the policies of Tabasco, in particular, by the customs security policy.

He was the former owner of Ministry of Communications and Transport (TBS), Javier Jimenez Espriuwho disagreed with Andrés Manuel after he suggested that the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) should be responsible for the operation of ports; meanwhile, Espriú defended that said task be entrusted to the unit under his responsibility.

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It should be noted that the departure of the ex-secretary had been anticipated a few days before his announcement, even when the president claimed to be unaware of these intentions. This, according to opinions, because the general manager had subordinated the secretary to the military commanders in different projects, such as the Mayan train or the construction of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA).

“I deeply regret not having succeeded in expressing to you my conviction and my concern about the seriousness of this measure”, he writes in this sense in a signed letter by Espriú almost a week before his resignation was publicly confirmed.

Thus, on July 23, López Obrador announced the replacement of Jiménez Espriú by Jorge Arganis Diaz Leal, who had to leave the position of the current Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) health issues on September 7, 2022. Currently, the agency is chaired by Jorge Nuno Lara.