AMLO moves to eliminate regulators in Mexico, experts show concerns

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is sticking to his campaign promise of leading the country through its so-called “Fourth Transformation,” or 4T, for short. With the overarching goal of erasing “privileged abuses” among Mexico’s public officials, AMLO also seeks to reduce red tape in a variety of sectors. The latter objective, however, may involve the eradication of some of the country’s most important autonomous regulators. 

At the beginning of the year, AMLO declared that he will send a proposal to Congress that would see existing cabinet ministries absorb the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) and Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT), two crucial Mexican regulatory agencies.

And the list of autonomous bodies to face the chop could get even bigger.

AMLO claims the maneuver would integrate the agencies’ activities without firing their staff members, with the objective of saving up to MXN 20 billion (just under USD 1 billion). According to the president, this amount corresponds to “half of what [Covid-19] vaccination would cost.”

“Just as funds and trusts were created to work without being audited, so have these ‘autonomous organizations,’ created both by Executive agreements and by law. We have to review all those devices,...