Analysis of the structural deficiencies of the Natural Disaster Fund
A meticulous investigation by the Public Service Secretariat, presented by Raquel Buenrostro, head of the Anti-Corruption and Good Government Secretariat, has revealed a systematic pattern of irregularities in the administration of the Natural Disasters Fund (Fonden) during the mandates of former presidents Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto. The presentation, held at President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s morning conference at the National Palace, contrasts this history with the austerity and efficiency approach implemented in the current administration.
The structural analysis of Fonden identifies its origin in 1996 as a public trust with serious shortcomings in transparency. According to the investigation, this legal figure operated in a framework of complete opacity, lacking the controls and publicity that characterize contemporary public trusts. This lack of scrutiny facilitated an ecosystem conducive to the discretionary management of resources intended for emergency care.
Bureaucratic ineffectiveness and documented acts of corruption
The detailed examination of the period 2000-2009 reveals that the implementation of a series of regulations, far from optimizing the system, turned it into an extremely bureaucratic and inoperative structure. The data indicates that the response to emergencies could take up to 120 days, a critically long period for the affected population. As the headline pointed out: “They take great advantage of the figure to get more and more money”, an accusation that highlights the systematic diversion of funds.
The evidence provided by the Superior Audit of the Federation in 2017 corroborates these statements, describing Fonden as a mechanism “ineffective, inefficient, with high costs, more reactive than preventive, with excess bureaucracy, lack of coordination, opaque and with multiple acts of corruption.” This official ruling reinforces the conclusion that the fund did not guarantee effective care for citizens. During the six-year term of Enrique Peña Nieto, excessive and disproportionate spending was recorded, contrary to the budget moderation that has been observed in the current government.
Paradigmatic cases of poor management by administration
The study provides concrete examples of the deficiencies for each presidential term. In the Vicente Fox era, the then General Coordinator of Civil Protection was involved in numerous cases of corruption and overpricing, undermining trust in the institutions. During the mandate of Felipe Calderón, an evident institutional paralysis was documented; After the floods in Veracruz in 2011, the state government reported Fonden’s inability to begin reconstruction works even three months after the emergency was declared.
Enrique Peña Nieto’s six-year term was marked by the bureaucratic response to hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel, an episode described as pathetic for its slowness and ineffectiveness. The investigation confirms that, recurrently, in each disaster event there was a shortage of at least 500 million pesos, which suggests a structural problem of diversion or misallocation of resources. The disappearance of the Fonden figure in 2021 responded to the need to eradicate these practices and establish a new paradigm in emergency management.
The new model: efficiency, transparency and direct help
In contrast to the history described, the analysis shows that in the administration of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador a more agile and effective management was carried out. While in the past the fastest approval process took 42 days, in the recent response to emergencies in five states, aid was channeled in a record period of 13 days. The key to this success lies in the elimination of intermediaries and the implementation of a system of direct support for the population, achieving greater coverage and impact with less public spending.
This model, which prioritizes the efficient allocation of resources and transparency in its application, represents a significant structural change. The comparison between administrations not only reveals the deep flaws of the previous system, but also establishes a precedent for the objective evaluation of public policies regarding civil protection and disaster management, based on concrete data and measurable results.
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