The scandal that shakes the cradle of tequila
Politics in the magical town turned bitter. Diego Rivera, the municipal president of Tequila, is in the crosshairs for a serious accusation: extortion. The company that reported him is not just anyone, it is Tequila Cuervo, a giant with deep roots in the region.
It all started with a closing. On December 6, the municipality closed Factory 1800. The official argument: it operated without a license and had million-dollar debts in property taxes.
“The municipal authority intended to collect 60 million pesos in property taxes, which they refused,” the tequila company reported at the time.
But this is where the script takes a turn. After a state-mediated meeting where agreements were supposedly reached, Cuervo filed the formal complaint. It was not a simple administrative claim, but a criminal accusation before the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office.
A worrying pattern
The most alarming thing is that they are not the only ones. Other companies in the region have filed similar complaints against municipal authorities. This no longer seems like an isolated case, but rather a modus operandi.
My father always said that when the river sounds, it carries stones. In Tequila, the noise is deafening. A mayor taking on an industry that defines the identity of his town is no small feat. The cobblestone streets and agave fields are now witnesses of a drama where everyone loses: the image of the town, business confidence and, above all, the rule of law.
Behind the smoke of the fiscal conflict there could be political fire. Is this a legitimate fight to uphold the law or is there something darker? The complaints on the table suggest that some see more coercion than collection.
Meanwhile, in the cantinas of the historic center, the topic is discussed along with tequila. Because in this town, politics and family business are as mixed as agave and water in stills.
