And the rules? Sheinbaum asks SRE to put order
President Claudia Sheinbaum and Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco agreed on the obvious: establish rules for using embassies. Yes, until now there were no clear rules. What could go wrong?
“What is the rule for the use of embassies? There are things that are defined, but there are others that are not.”
The trigger: the son of former Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard settled in the Mexican embassy in the United Kingdom for six months in 2021. As if it were a diplomatic Airbnb.
Let’s get to work… or at least to the ethics committee
Sheinbaum instructed Velasco to coordinate with the Ethics and Disciplinary Committee of the Mexican Foreign Service. The idea: modify rules so that no one lends themselves to creative interpretations.
“It is very important that we make that clear so that it is not subject to any interpretation,” said the president.
The message is clear: ambassadors, the chancellor and any secretary must know what they can or cannot do with diplomatic facilities.
The Ebrard case: investigation or smokescreen?
Sheinbaum defended Ebrard – “I recognize his work” – but confirmed that there is an open investigation due to citizen complaints. Be careful, it was not your government that asked for it.
“It’s not that we have launched an investigation… anyone can file a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Secretariat,” he explained.
On April 16, Marcelo Ebrard admitted that his son Marcelo Patrick lived in the British embassy for six months. Now it’s time to wait for the verdict from the Anti-Corruption Secretariat.
Meanwhile, one wonders: how many similar cases were left without rules or scandal?
