A Oaxaca mayor has been accused of embezzling more than 10 million pesos (US $490,000) in social services funding to use in his reelection campaign.
The state auditor’s office charged that funds allocated by the federal Social Development Secretariat (Sedesol) were diverted by Mayor Alejandro Vázquez Mata to finance his campaign for mayor of San Miguel Amatitlán.
The accusation followed a formal complaint by a non-governmental organization.
The money had been intended to finance public works projects and investments that were to benefit citizens living in extreme poverty.
A representative of the organization told local news outlets that Vázquez’s mismanagement of the municipal coffers also left municipal employees without pay.
The auditor’s office has found enough evidence of irregularities — including the fact that there have been no social projects implemented during 2018 — to order a full audit of the Vázquez administration.
Vázquez’s election triumph is also under scrutiny after accusations of irregularities and fraud.
Last month, the federal electoral court ordered its Oaxaca counterpart to review several complaints filed by the Institutional Revolutionary Party regarding the election of Vázquez, who ran under a three-party coalition of the National Action, Democratic Revolution and Citizens’ Movement parties.
The results gave Vázquez the victory with only 32 votes more than his closest competitor.
