Víctor Toledo steps down from the Environment Ministry after controversial audio leak

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will make some adjustments to his cabinet. Sources said Environment Minister Víctor Toledo will step down from his role and María Luisa Albores will take over the Semarnat .

Sources close to the President told EL UNIVERSAL that the decision to remove Toledo stems from his criticism towards the federal government.

In early August, Toledo was recorded while he criticized the government. He took special aim at Alfonso Romo, López Obrador’s chief of staff.

EL UNIVERSAL reported Víctor Toledo submitted his resignation on August 6 and that the President and his team were analyzing the document.

López Obrador appointed Toledo as the Environment Minster in 2019, after the media revealed then-Minister Josefa González-Blanco Ortiz-Mena delayed a commercial flight because she was late to the airport.

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Toledo’s explosive claims

Social media users shared a recording that showed Environment Minister Víctor Toledo criticizing the federal government. Toledo can be heard saying President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration “doesn’t have a clear goal, it’s full contradictions, and there is a struggle for power inside the cabinet,” he added that the cabinet and the president’s interest are not the same of the Semarnat.

Víctor Manuel Toledo took office 10 months ago. He took over the Semarnat after Josefa González Blanco resigned amid a scandal.

In the viral recording, Toledo said there are conflicts between the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry (Semarnat) and the Agriculture of Rural Development Ministry (Sader), led by Víctor Villalobos. According to the environmentalist, the Semarnat is focusing on agroecology , while de Seder is moving towards agribusinesses . He said: “they try to impose the vision that prevails in the world of large corporations.”

Moreover, the environmental activist made some interesting remarks regarding Alfonso Romo, López Obrador’s chief of staff. Romo allegedly has the power to block any project linked to the environment, such as clean energy and agroecology projects.

Víctor Manuel Toledo also revealed he had conflicts with Víctor Villalobos regarding glyphosate. He then revealed federal authorities called on him to approve a farming project with the U.S., as Mexican authorities were trying to push for the purchase of properties in Tabasco to build a dairy project that followed the agribusiness model; thirdly, he explained the Interior Minister organized a meeting to convince five ministries to approve the construction of a beer factory.

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In the case of a mining company, Alfonso Romo organized a meeting with the owner of Grupo México to try and convince Toledo to be more accessible.

Genetically modified cotton was also an issue between the Semarnat and Sader.

Toledo also said President López Obrador’s government is not on the side of the Semarnat and its efforts to protect the environment. The minister added the federal government should have a plan B and take advantage of the global crisis to benefit the environment.

Insiders confirmed the recording was authentic.

Sources close to President López Obrador said Víctor Manuel Toledo informed the president about his resignation after the recording leaked.

The President confirms the news

Days after the media reported Víctor Toledo would leave the Environment Ministry, the President confirmed the news during his daily news conference. María Luisa Albores, currently the Welfare Minister, will take Toledo’s place.

López Obrador said Environment and Natural Resources Minister Víctor Manuel Toledo had been considering quitting even before the leaked recording, which clearly showed he was unhappy with the administration’s direction on environmental issues.

“Public service produces stress” and “not all of us are made to support the pressure,” López Obrador said.

The President added Toledo is facing health issues. Moreover, he referred to Toledo as the best ecologist and environmentalist in the country.

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