A cry in the storm (and on Twitter)
While Hurricane Priscila was dedicated to its destructive tour through Hidalgo, Veracruz and Puebla, leaving in its wake a landscape that seemed straight out of a post-apocalyptic movie, the Mexican political class, as is tradition, took to its favorite stage: social networks. In a plot twist that no one expected (yes, it’s sarcasm), federal deputy Rubén Moreira Valdez launched an urgent call to the Federal Government. Basically, the message was, “Hey, do you remember the people affected? Could we, I don’t know, help them?” A revolutionary idea, we know.
Through his stories, tweets and whatever people in power use to communicate now, the coordinator of the PRI bench not only asked for immediate support, but, in an act of foresight that seems taken from a fictional story, he requested that the Federation Expenditure Project 2026 include a specific item for these catastrophes. Its stated goal is for aid to arrive quickly and efficiently, a concept that is reportedly considered cutting-edge in crisis management.
The ghost of FONDEN: the character that everyone misses in this soap opera
And this is where the plot gets juicy. Moreira Valdez, with the confidence of someone who knows he has a good *plot twist*, confirmed what many already suspected: “The mistake that meant disappearing Fonden is confirmed.” Ah, the Natural Disaster Fund (FONDEN), that former protagonist of the public administration that was abruptly canceled and that everyone now remembers with nostalgia, like that series that was removed from the platform just when it was getting good.
The legislator does not beat around the bush. In his appearances on the program *Con Peras Manzanas y Naranjas* (a title that, it must be admitted, is a mood in itself), he has released information that hurts more than a Sunday hangover. He states that the defunct fund allowed up to 37 billion pesos to be available instantly for emergencies. And now? Well today, in the post-FONDEN era, the portfolio is reduced to 19 billion pesos, and that “if the budget allows it.” In other words, the equivalent of asking your parents for money to go out: maybe yes, maybe not, and always with a sermon included.
But wait, there’s more. Because in this budget thriller, cuts are the villain of the story. Moreira pointed out that the Coordination of the National Civil Protection System and the threat management area have seen their budget disappear by 103 million pesos since 2018, going from 334 to 231 million. It’s as if, in the middle of a pandemic and a climate crisis, they decided to remove airbags from cars to save money. A masterstroke, without a doubt.
The battle plan: when deputies become influencers of reconstruction
Faced with this scenario worthy of a sad meme, the PRI parliamentary group has announced its next mission: to propose modifications to the initiative of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP). Its objective is to guarantee sufficient and extraordinary resources for the reconstruction and care of the affected communities. Basically, it’s the *plot* of the season: deputies trying to put common sense into the budget.
Moreira’s final phrase is to be framed in the section of “things that should be obvious but are not”: “Nature does not warn, but the government’s omission aggravates the damage. It is time to act with responsibility and humanity”. A truth like a temple that, in the current context, sounds as revolutionary as finding a free parking space in the city center.
In short, we are facing a classic Mexican drama with all the ingredients: natural disaster, missing public funds, budget cuts and a politician asking for action on networks. The million-dollar question is whether this time the script will include a happy ending for the affected citizens or if it will simply be another chapter in the series “And so it goes.” The ball, as often happens, is in the court of those who manage the nation’s checkbook. Meanwhile, communities continue to wait, because humanitarian aid, unlike a tweet, cannot arrive in seconds.
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