The Michoacan businessman José Luis Salinas Gutiérrez became the subject of controversy after a festive comment that was offensive to the Government of Tlaxcala. During a public toast, Salinas stated: “Being director of the Metro is better than being governor of Tlaxcala,” in the presence of Adrián Rubalcava, who was supposedly going to assume the direction of the Metro Collective Transportation System of Mexico City.
The statement, which initially provoked laughter among those present, quickly spread on social media through a video. The shocking aspect of the comment was not only its content but also the unofficial revelation at that moment of Rubalcava's appointment, which generated speculation about Salinas's closeness to high-level political decisions in the capital.
The controversy took a more serious turn when the Government of Tlaxcala issued an official statement demanding a public apology and respect from Salinas Gutiérrez. The text urged the businessman to retract for considering his words as inappropriate and offensive to the people of Tlaxcala, especially in the context of the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the foundation of the state capital that same year.
So far, neither José Luis Salinas Gutiérrez nor Adrián Rubalcava have made public statements regarding the matter. The state administration of Tlaxcala also called on the event attendees to publicly disassociate themselves from the comment, sparking an intense debate about whether it was a misunderstood joke or a lack of respect towards states with less media visibility.
