The most talked about no-show of the week
It seems that Dr. Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller’s agenda was tighter than jeans after washing. It turns out that the wife of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was nominated, in a plot twist that no one saw coming, for the rectory of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP). But here comes the good gossip: the appointment was at 1:45 p.m. and our protagonist was conspicuous by her absence. Not even an “I’m on my way” message to save face.
The Audit Commission, which must feel like the organizer of a party to which no one goes, had to cross her out of the list of nine candidates. Because that’s how cruel the protocol is, friends: if you don’t show up for the interview, you’re automatically left out of the process. And even if he had shown up, he already had another task undelivered: he needed to process his academic certificate of seniority, that document that is like proof of address for university life and that he should have obtained on Tuesday. A true “I left everything to the last minute” mood.
The mystery of the ghost application
This is where the plot gets more intriguing than the end of a Netflix series. According to local sources, the application came from the student community, specifically from the Faculty of Economics. The most curious thing is that the BUAP clarified, with all the “don’t blame us” attitude, that any member of the university community can nominate candidates… without them necessarily being aware! Basically, it’s like when they tag you in a meme without your permission, but in an institutional version.
The current rector, María Lilia Cedillo Ramírez, who is also seeking re-election (because what is power if you don’t try to keep it?), commented in an interview that the decision to participate was in the hands of Gutiérrez Müller herself. In the end, the ball was in her court and she decided not to finish it. With this unofficial but more than obvious decline, the process continues with the other eight applicants who did comply with the documentation and, you know, showed up for their appointment as functional adults.
And although the researcher has not given an official public position on this particular incident, in one of her Instagram statuses she shared a thank you video where the current rector Cedillo Ramírez appears. A hint so clear that even a nearsighted person without glasses could read it. He basically aired his support without having to say “hey, I’m not going to run against this person.” A master PR move, to be honest.
This whole media circus leaves us several lessons: first, that the world of university politics is more tangled than the cables of your headphones in your pocket. Second, even absences speak louder than words. And third, you always, always have to read the entire call before getting excited. Because the requirements are there for a reason, even if they ruin our plans for academic greatness.
Meanwhile, the other eight candidates must be breathing a sigh of relief, because the path for the most high-profile candidate has just been cleared. Now the contest will be a little less trendy topic and a little more… well, university. This is the game of educational administration in the era of social networks: everything is known, everything is commented on and everything is memed.
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