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Josefa González-Blanco Ortiz-Mena had no money

Off the Record features fact-checked news written by journalists and contributors to EL UNIVERSAL

Josefa González-Blanco Ortiz-Mena quit yesterday – Photo: Ivan Stephens /EL UNIVERSAL
26/05/2019 |10:03
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Josefa González-Blanco Ortiz-Mena had no money

Those close to the former Environment Minister, Josefa González-Blanco Ortiz-Mena , say they knew she would resign weeks ago. Even if the reason behind her resignation was the scandal generated after she prevented an airplane from taking off without her aboard, an abusive act EL UNIVERSAL revealed on Friday night, the former minister had been discontent about the budget cuts for a while. When she founds out people were calling her our for not doing anything to stop the fires throughout the country, she said: ”They are right. I don't have money to do anything.” With 16,000 employees less , the head of the Semarnat felt helpless .

Velasco, the new Environment Minister?

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Yesterday it was claimed that the former Chiapas Governor, Manuel Velasco , would become the new Environment Minister ; nevertheless, we've been told this hasn't been confirmed as it wasn't him who spread the rumors but rather those close to the President started mentioning his name as a possible substitute . In any case, this version confirms how close the President and Velasco Coello are.

Josefa González-Blanco Ortiz-Mena has a lot to explain

We've been told that the resignation of Josefa González-Blanco Ortiz-Mena, the former head of the Environment Ministr y was useful to send a message to the members of the federal government : zero tolerance to abuse of powe r. We've been told that her position in the government was intolerable, after she called an Aeroméxico executive , a friend of hers, to ask him to delay a plane for 38 minutes. The collateral damage will affect two other parties: the airline and the Communications and T ransport Minister, Javier Jiménez Espriú , who will have to explain why and how is it possible to prevent a plane for taking off with a phone call.

The INAI vs. the President

We've been told that inside National Institute for the Access to Information , some commissioners are becoming increasingly discontent with the decisions made by its president, Francisco Javier Acuña , to constantly confront President López Obrador . During the last quarrel, the body issued a statement to clarify that it was the President's office who leaked the list of journalists who were paid by former administrations . Some commissioners backed the decisions but others opposed it.

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