Silence and caution in the face of a possible surprise…

The federal government had information about an alleged money laundering investigation in the United States against Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmedo, governor of Baja California, and her husband, so silence and caution were the response to the announcement of the cancellation of their visas.

The measure came two months after Donald Trump stated in an interview with The Spectator that he would recommend that the United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, investigate corrupt politicians who benefited from fentanyl trafficking, and almost two years after Jaime Bonilla Valdez launched accusations against the Baja California native from the Senate floor in that regard.

And that's also why, unlike that time when Bonilla Valdez spoke of her fellow party member's ties to organized crime, and Morena governors immediately issued a statement of support, trusting in her honesty, nothing similar has been seen this time.

The tension in the Mexico-US relationship is reaching one of its most delicate moments. Donald Trump openly spoke of troops to confront drug traffickers in Mexico, where the government, he said, is afraid of them. The President responded, "No," because the territory and sovereignty are inviolable.

In this context, Mexican authorities have learned that various investigations are ongoing in the US into political figures who are suspected of having illicit ties there. Most of the State Department's investigations point to crimes such as money laundering and operations involving illicit proceeds.

And it seems that the statements of her predecessor, Jaime Bonilla, have been crucial to the investigation into Governor Marina del Pilar. Despite belonging to the same movement, Bonilla maintains an open confrontation with her. In 2022, for example, the current state administration (specifically the local Prosecutor's Office led by Iván Carpio) sought to prosecute Bonilla in the Next Energy case, along with other former cabinet officials, for alleged damage to the treasury of 12 billion pesos corresponding to commitments made to install a photovoltaic plant that was never built.

For at least a couple of weeks, the National Palace has been aware of the investigations by U.S. agencies into several politicians, several of them governors. While the visa cancellation move was unexpected, the issue was not foreign to the Mexican government; the matter was discussed in security meetings held by authorities from both countries.

#LoboSapiensSapiens

Weak leadership

As was the case at the Ministry of the Interior during the latter part of the previous six-year term, headed by Luisa María Alcalde, also a member of Morena, the young politician has fallen short. As president of the ruling party, which holds the majority, she has been slow to respond to controversial points or questions raised about President Sheinbaum… The head of the executive branch requires a party that supports her, that steps up when there is a conflict, that works with the leadership, not one that requires her to be pulled to react.

@chimalhuacano