Sheinbaum justifies the presence of Rosa Icela Rodríguez in the INE and criticizes the budget

Alma E. Muñoz

Sent

La Jornada Newspaper

Saturday, September 12, 2026, p. 7

Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Chis., Given the controversy generated by the presence of the Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, at the ceremony for the start of the electoral process at the headquarters of the National Electoral Institute, President Claudia Sheinbaum justified her attendance because it was a protocol event to which representatives of all the powers of the Union were invited: “it has nothing to do with a matter of interference by the Executive in an autonomous body that must coordinate the elections,” she emphasized.

The president criticized the performance of the INE for what she considered an excessive budget request of 42,274 million pesos. He highlighted that, considering the institute's expenses in 2024, a similar election, adding inflation in these three years, would total 37 billion pesos

–What budget do you think it would be?

–Now that the deputies decide. From my perspective, it should be what was allocated in 2024 plus inflation, because there is nothing new in all of this.

During the conference held in Tuxtla, he criticized many of the INE's decisions “which have only contributed to generating greater doubts.” Among them, the unclear determination on “ironed ballots” or not folded ones stood out.

“They made a change to the guidelines and now they are saying that ballots that are not folded can be considered valid, when for many years we ourselves have said that they should not be considered because it can lead to fraud in which many ballots are put into the box at the same time,” he said.

Sheinbaum went further in his disqualifications of the institute, as he also deplored the change in institutional color, which from his perspective is unjustifiable. "Why did they change it? It's not understood, honestly. Even more so when the electoral process is already beginning," he asserted.

The President referred to the president advisor (Guadalupe Taddei, whom she did not call by name), to offer a press conference with the advisors and thus clear up all doubts about her performance at the dawn of the electoral process.

On the other hand, when asked about factors that invalidate the nomination of candidates, the president asserted that not having a visa cannot be a criterion for canceling a candidacy because that is an administrative decision that corresponds exclusively to the authorities of that country.

"If you show any evidence that has to do with a criminal matter, the Mexican institutions will take it into account in accordance with our legislation."

Finally, he added that the security cabinet is already working on drawing up the risk map for the election to determine where the presence of the National Guard must be reinforced.