Hugo López-Gatell’s Replacement / Judicial Power

Hugo López-Gatell’s Replacement. Ruy López Ridaura will replace Hugo López-Gatell as Deputy Minister of Prevention and Health Promotion in the Ministry of Health, announced President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Before this appointment, López Ridaura served as Director General of the National Center for Preventive Programs and Disease Control. He holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Epidemiology from Harvard University and a Master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

López Ridaura has worked at the National Institute of Public Health and the National Institute of Nutrition and Medical Sciences "Salvador Zubirán." He is also a Level II member of the National System of Researchers.

At the end of September, López-Gatell left the Ministry of Health to compete to become MORENA’s candidate for the position of Mayor of Mexico City.

López Obrador Lashes Out Against Judicial Power. President López Obrador lashed out against the Judicial Branch after a Federal Court overturned the arrest warrant issued against former Minister of Security, Genaro García Luna. 

López Obrador stated that although there are exceptions, it is clear that the Judiciary is compromised and serves only the interests of the mafia, economic powers and political elites. Furthermore, he considered their performance worse now as they are pressuring for their budget, which is at stake.

Yesterday, a Federal Court overturned the arrest warrant issued against García Luna, who was accused of illicit enrichment totaling MX$43 million (US$2.4 million). This led the Federal Prosecutor (FGR) to announce that it will take legal action against Judge Gerardo Genaro Alarcón López, who initially denied the order. The FGR also plans to take legal action against the magistrates of the First Collegiate Criminal Court of Appeals in the First Circuit, who upheld this denial. 

Therefore, López Obrador reiterated the need to reform the Judicial Branch so that the people can elect judges, magistrates and justices through voting as, otherwise, they will continue granting impunity to criminals.

According to the president, members of the Judicial Branch have reached an "extreme level of cynicism." López Obrador mentioned that the behavior of the Judicial Council demonstrates the Judiciary's poor performance, as it is responsible for monitoring the actions of judges.

Chihuahua and Coahuila. President López Obrador warned that it is very likely that the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) will rule in favor of the governments of Chihuahua and Coahuila, maintaining the injunction preventing the distribution of the new free textbooks from the Ministry of Public Education (SEP).

Yesterday, President López Obrador revealed that María Estela Ríos González, Legal Counsel to the Federal Executive (CJEF), visited the headquarters of the SCJN on Monday to "present some evidence" to resolve the injunctions filed by the governments of Chihuahua and Coahuila against the distribution of the free textbooks.

López Obrador accused Governor of Chihuahua Maru Campos (PAN), Governor of Coahuila Miguel Ángel Riquelme (PRI) and Minister Luis María Aguilar, who granted these injunctions, of harming the students in these two states "for political reasons." López Obrador stated that he is unaware of which minister the counselor met with but "does not believe she met with [Norma Lucía Piña]."

Purchase of 12 Hospitals. President López Obrador thanked businessman Olegario Vázquez Aldir, CEO, Grupo Empresarial Ángeles, for agreeing to sell to the government three out of the 12 hospitals that are currently under the public-private partnership scheme.

"[Vázquez] has already sent word and I greatly appreciate it. Olegario Vázquez's son, who owns three of these hospitals, agreed to sell us the hospitals and cancel the contracts they signed," he said. In addition, the president explained that these hospitals are located in Tapachula, Chiapas, Bahía de Banderas Nayarit and Villahermosa, Tabasco. The one in Villahermosa is rented to the ISSSTE and the purchase will result in significant savings.