Furthermore, most of these works are concentrated in Tabasco and Veracruz, which has aroused some suspicion within the government, especially since Romero wants to build a political project to succeed Javier May. The criticism of the direction Romero Oropeza has taken at the Institute adds to other already open tensions from the Palace against the former director of Pemex regarding the company's supplier debt, which tripled during his tenure and left quite opaque accounts. Octavio appoints at Infonavit the architect of Pemex's uncontrolled debt to suppliers. It is worth remembering that this is currently one of the biggest challenges facing the state oil company and it continues to distort financial statements. According to its latest financial report, as of September, this liability grew by 20% compared to last year, standing at 517 billion pesos, despite the payment plan executed by the current administration. The debt to suppliers has pushed some service companies to the brink of bankruptcy and hindered the development of new projects, as it has also intensified the risk outlook, which limits the arrival of new investors, as expected by the current management led by Víctor Rodríguez. These issues raised alarms about his arrival at Infonavit, which was defended during the transition by Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Once at the head of the Institute, he also led controversial projects, such as the reform that limited the participation of the private sector and granted greater discretion over individual accounts, which immediately generated tension with the private sector; or the project to regularize invaded properties. In summary, his administration at the head of Infonavit continues to generate doubts due to lack of results and opacity in projects, which are again debated at the Palace and within the institute itself. In recent weeks, discussion of his permanence has resurfaced as the mandates at the head of Infonavit are not yielding the expected results. Among the various areas of the Institute, rumors of his departure are gaining strength, and the data reinforce this possibility: he is accused of not having reached even 50% of the 2025 goal for housing construction with two months left in the year. According to an internal memorandum seen by LPO, it was reported that only 40% of the goal to fulfill a total of 900,000 had been achieved. Octavio Romero's presence in Claudia Sheinbaum's cabinet continues to be a source of tension.
