The honorary position that weighed too much
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) withdrew Martín Camarena de Obeso’s permission to serve as Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Guadalajara. The publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation this Monday made official what many already suspected: an appointment that lasted more than two decades ended in a matter of hours.
The reason? The same day it was revealed that the businessman is a partner in a company linked to the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, according to journalistic investigations. Foreign Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente signed the definitive termination of functions from March 2, 2026.
“The termination of functions has definitive effect from March 2, 2026”
The curious thing is that Camarena had recently been ratified during the current federal administration. Appointed since 2002, his position was honorary – without remuneration – but with representation in several states. Just the kind of position that should be blameless.
When sanctions speak louder than speeches
The final trigger was the sanctions issued by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against a network of companies related to the CJNG. Among them is a real estate firm where Camarena is a partner.
The Foreign Ministry acted quickly, but the uncomfortable question remains: how long has this information been circulating in official corridors? Honorary consuls, according to the SRE, only carry out commercial and tourist promotion, not immigration procedures. But its symbolic representation now has a very high political cost.
Another case where foreign sanctions make more noise than local investigations. Institutional memory seems to have an expiration date every six years, just to renew uncomfortable appointments.
