Sheinbaum and the art of not moving what is (supposedly) already in place
In a twist that no one saw coming – well, maybe everyone –, president Claudia Sheinbaum has come out to sell the virtues of her most recent signing. This is Esthela Damián Peralta, the new visible head of the Legal Department of the Federal Executive. Your credentials? According to the president herself, she is honest, hard-working and, most importantly, does not alter the sacred feng shui of parity in the cabinet. Because, of course, in high politics the first thing is to maintain the decor.
From the majestic (and always photogenic) National Palace, Sheinbaum explained with the seriousness of someone revealing a law of physics that designated a woman to “not move the parity.” A parity that, by the way, according to their own words, is already tilted in favor of women. Impeccable reasoning: you appoint someone so as not to change something that is already unequal, but in your favor. Political logic, friends, is a rhetorical minefield.
A trajectory woven with threads of trust (and proximity)
But let’s not think that this is a whim. Not at all! Mrs. Damián is not just anyone. He has been working with Sheinbaum since 2018, when she was head of government of Mexico City. He went through the DIF and the private secretariat. In other words, he has been in the trenches, he has gone through the loyalty filter and he has shown that he can handle everything from a grocery package to the boss’s agenda. What better preparation to deal with the Court and the Official Gazette of the Federation?
Sheinbaum, in a burst of administrative detail, enlightened us about the vast responsibilities of the Ministry: everything legal about the government, the publication of decrees, the relationship with the Attorney General and the Administrative Justice Court. A minor, unimportant position, like someone in charge of the photocopier. And for this monumental challenge, the choice falls on someone whose main virtue – in addition to honesty and work – is “getting along with everyone.” Because in the complex world of administrative and constitutional law, what really matters is charisma.
In short, we are faced with an appointment that smacks of proven trust, a close circle and an almost mathematical obsession with maintaining gender statistics that sound good in speeches. Will it work? Sheinbaum has no doubts: “he is going to do an excellent job.” And she, who has always stood out for her precise scientific predictions, is surely not wrong. Or at least, that’s what the country hopes.
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