Mexican conglomerate Grupo Salinas, owned by businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego, announced it will exercise its right to appeal to international bodies, including the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, due to what it calls a "systematic persecution" by tax authorities. In a statement released on Monday, the conglomerate affirmed its willingness to pay according to rulings from the Tax Administration Service (SAT) and courts, which stated that "double charging is not applicable." However, it criticized that these bodies have not respected its requests to adjust tax credits. "A handshake holds more validity than a signed document. It is concerning that, from a position of prejudice and from the highest national forum, the Attorney General's Office is discrediting our right to access justice," the company stated. Grupo Salinas emphasized that its companies sent letters to SAT requesting a dialogue to implement previous judicial resolutions, noting that its agreement with the previous administration was the result of "dozens of conversations conducted in good faith" and in accordance with the law. The owner of Grupo Salinas is currently involved in 32 lawsuits with SAT over tax debts amounting to 74 billion pesos. According to the federal government, the total tax debt for cases pending before the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) is estimated at 48 billion pesos. Grupo Salinas criticized the Attorney General for "instructing the SAT" to "deny their constitutional right to petition." President Claudia Sheinbaum also addressed the letter from Grupo Salinas, which was sent to the government in October 2024, and denied that any agreement had been reached. "No agreement was ever reached, and if they had wanted to pay, they would have done so at that time," she said. In its statement, Grupo Salinas concluded that despite the conflict, it aims to "turn the page to continue creating value and inclusive prosperity for Mexico, its more than 180,000 employees and their families, and its more than 35 million customers."
