Mexican businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, head of the Grupo Salinas conglomerate, made a serious accusation against the ruling party, National Regeneration Movement (Morena), calling it "the most powerful criminal cartel in Mexico." He made this statement on social media amidst a political and judicial scandal involving the arrest of a mayor from this party on suspicion of ties to criminal groups and corruption. The mayor of Tequila, Jalisco, Diego Rivera Navarro, was arrested along with his administration officials during a federal operation. He is accused of leading a municipal corruption network that demanded illegal payments from businesses and imposed abusive fines on local producers, including renowned distilleries. Although no formal evidence has been presented to support Salinas Pliego's claims that Morena is a criminal organization, his words fuel growing polarization in the Mexican political debate. President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that "no party, and certainly not Morena, can protect criminals" and defended the separation between the party and the alleged criminal activities of the mayor. Security and political experts have questioned the judicialization of cases with political profiles, while also pointing out that defining a political party as a "criminal cartel" without robust judicial evidence can have serious implications for the country's institutions and international perception.
