Salinas in Mexico's cabinet

By Carlos Loret de Mola

I do not believe that former President Carlos Salinas de Gortari is a secret puppeteer behind every action of the current administration. I think this rumor suits him, and that is why Salinas himself has tried to spread it.

However, it is clear that Salinas does have an influence on president Enrique Peña Nieto and several members of his team, which makes him relevant in Mexico's public life.

The recent changes in Mexico's federal cabinet exposed, once more, the reach of the most repudiated former president of the recent decades.

By way of kinship, Carlos Salinas de Gortari has a huge influence over Mexico's Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu, who is his niece, and the newly appointed director of Pemex, José Antonio González Anaya, his co-brother-in-law. It is well known that he has a close relationship with both of them, who head two institutions that define Mexico's image abroad.

Similarly, the former president is very close to the new undersecretary for North America, Paulo Carreño King, son of the former spokesman and close collaborator of Salinas de Gortari, José Carreño Carlón, current director of the publishing house Fondo de Cultura Económica.

Thinking that Claudia Ruiz Massieu, José Antonio González Anaya and Paulo Carreño are what they are because of Salinas only, and not thanks to their own talent, experience and achievements, would be a simplistic conclusion; however saying that Salinas does not have much influence on them would mean being misinformed.

Beyond the legend that he is the "hand that rocks the cradle", the real access of Salinas allows him to keep a good slice of power and gives him access to privileged information, influence on important decisions and ultimately, the possibility that he and his allies do business.

Salinas is less than what he wants us to believe, but more than what is officially accepted.