Two counselors of the National Electoral Institute (INE), Carla Humphrey Jordan and Dania Ravel Cuevas, publicly distanced themselves from the awarding of a multi-million dollar contract for a miniseries about judicial elections. This project, awarded through direct procurement for 1 million 157 thousand pesos, has generated controversy due to the fact that the selected provider, Gilberto Solís Mendívil, has been previously linked to front company operations and misappropriation of funds in the state of Hidalgo. Through her account on social network X, Counselor Carla Humphrey questioned the need to carry out such a documentary outside the institution: “As an Electoral Counselor, I completely disassociate myself from the idea and the contracting of the miniseries about judicial elections, when, in its case, the INE itself could have produced it.” “Naturally, I also distance myself from the award process in which various people participated, some who apparently receive resources from the Institute itself, although all of them at some point belonged to the same advertising agency,” accompanying her position with tags related to transparency, legality, and accountability. In turn, Counselor Dania Ravel issued a similar statement, explaining the technical competencies within the electoral body. However, judicial records identify Solís Mendívil as an actor involved in the corruption scheme orchestrated during Sergio Islas Olvera's management of the Hidalgo Radio and Television System (SRTVH). In 2024, Islas Olvera was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after being found guilty of the embezzlement of 242 million 492 thousand 793 pesos. According to the investigations, Solís Mendívil participated in the signing of contracts for services that were never carried out. Ravel stated that “Electoral Counselors do not intervene in the contracting processes for goods and services of the INE, nor do we participate in the decisions on awards, providers, or content production”. The counselor specified that these procedures are the exclusive responsibility of the General Executive Board, the Executive Directorate of Administration, and the Procurement Committee, in accordance with the Institute's internal regulations. “Providing clarity to citizens regarding the attributions of each of the INE's areas, as well as Transparency, Legality, and Accountability, are key to strengthening institutional trust,” she added. The contract in question was awarded to Gilberto Solís Mendívil to narrate the development of the judicial electoral process.
