«We have a person who receives a little over one million pesos a month,» denounced at Claudia Sheinbaum's morning press conference on February 18. The opposition accuses the reform against 'golden pensions' of violating the Constitution. PAN and Citizen Movement denounced that the reform against 'golden pensions' will be applied retroactively under the criterion that these payments cause damage to the public treasury. The opposition highlighted that the initiative 'opens the door' for Morena and its allies to want to use that same principle to pass other reforms that are applied retroactively. Citizen Movement also criticized that the reform to eliminate 'golden pensions' does not 'touch' either the Army or the ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation. However, despite these criticisms, all parties and one independent deputy voted in favor of the project. With even the votes of the opposition, the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the reform proposed by Claudia Sheinbaum to eliminate 'golden pensions' in the public administration. In total, there were 458 votes in favor, which constituted a qualified majority. The initiative, which has already been approved by the Senate, now needs the approval of at least 17 local congresses to be sent to the President of Mexico for her signature and publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF). The project modifies Article 127 of the Constitution so that trusted workers of decentralized bodies and state-owned productive enterprises do not have 'golden pensions' of up to one million pesos a month. The initiative states that the new cap on pensions for government workers will be 70,000 pesos per month. According to the Government of Mexico, the elimination of 'golden pensions' represents a savings of 5 billion pesos in the budget. Which government bodies have 'golden pensions'? The reform is aimed at 'exorbitant pensions' that, according to a government presentation, are received by high-ranking officials from: Petróleos Mexicanos. Federal Electricity Commission. Luz y Fuerza del Centro (in liquidation). Nacional Financiera. National Public Works and Services Bank. Raquel Buenrostro, Secretary of Anti-Corruption and Good Government, highlighted the case of Luz y Fuerza del Centro. 'There are 9,457 former workers, almost 70 percent, who receive a pension of 100,000 to one million pesos.'
