Luis Rodríguez Bucio, commander of the National Guard, will replace Ricardo Mejía Berdeja as deputy security minister, President López Obrador announced Monday. Bucio had headed the Guard since 2019, when it was created to replace the Federal Police.
“He did a very good job as commander of the National Guard, and now he is going to be deputy minister of public security. We have complete confidence in General Bucio,” the president said during his morning press conference.
Retired general David Córdova Campos will take Rodríguez Bucio’s role at the head of the National Guard.
Mejía resigned on Jan. 12 to compete in this year’s gubernatorial election in the state of Coahuila for the Labor Party (PT). The alliance in the state, made up of the PT, the Ecological Green Party (PVEM) and the ruling party Morena, splintered after Morena chose Senator Armando Guadiana Tijerina as the alliance’s candidate.
Mejía and the PT disputed the decision, claiming that the poll of party members on which it was based was fraudulent.
“Ricardo Mejía left, and he didn’t even say goodbye. He just sent me a piece of paper,” the president said.
“I also want to clarify that I do not get involved in partisan issues, but there is a procedure in my party that I support because I created it when I was the party leader, and that is that candidates be chosen through polls.”
“It was the people who chose, and whoever triumphed was the candidate and the decision was respected. It is the only party that uses this selection method…people are asked if they know the possible candidates, what their opinion is on them — if they are honest, if they are close to the people — and they ask if they would like them to be the candidates, and the one who comes out with the best evaluation, that is the one we support.”
Coahuila has been ruled by the Institutional Revolutionary party (PRI) for nearly 100 years. The divisiveness among Morena, the PT and the PVEM could make a change in government less likely.
With reports from Sin Embargo and Reforma
