Juan Ramón de la Fuente, who was Rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) from 1999 to 2007 and served as Secretary of Health during Ernesto Zedillo's sexenio, requested a leave of absence on Wednesday from his position as head of the Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE) for health reasons, according to sources in the federal government confirmed to various media outlets. The diplomat, who assumed the post on October 1, 2024, under the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, is stepping down from his duties amid the renegotiations of the USMCA and the preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. In late November 2025, De la Fuente had already been absent from his duties due to a surgical intervention. Photo: Archive Cuartoscuro. It is currently known that the leave is temporary and that the official will resume his activities when the World Cup concludes. However, the separation could become permanent if his health condition worsens. You may be interested > Mexico advocates for the strengthening of multilateralism in a 'complex' world context. To head the SRE, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, current Undersecretary for North America, is being considered. Photo: Archive Cuartoscuro. Juan Ramón de la Fuente's career in public service includes having been Mexico's Permanent Representative to the United Nations during Andrés Manuel López Obrador's sexenio.
