Federico Reyes Heroles
“We were the kings of the cheat sheet,” declares proudly a political operator involved in the organized destruction of the Republic. The “servant of the nation” complains about the delay in his payment. On the podium is Claudia Sheinbaum, the same woman who claimed that we live in “the most democratic country in the world.” No comment. But if the hope was that she would tone down the many excesses of her predecessor, that hope has been dashed.
“I appointed him, I proposed him, I can say it without shame.” She is referring to Hugo López-Gatell as Mexico’s representative to the World Health Organization (WHO). The mere appointment sparked debate. Since 1950, the head of the embassy in Geneva has also served as the head of several international organizations. Today, that responsibility falls to Francisca Méndez, a career diplomat, with the endorsement of the Senate. That position does not exist. It will not go through the Senate. The former undersecretary of health will be part—we assume—of an advisory team or something similar, a “technician with ministerial rank.”
In the modern history of public health in our country, there is no figure who can be accused of irresponsibility even remotely similar to that of the new “technical minister.” “His appointment is shameful,” said Antonio Lazcano Araujo, a brilliant Mexican scientist and member of the National College, along with many others, including Jaime Sepúlveda and Julio Frenk, true experts in public health. In short, he is being held responsible for the deaths of at least 800,000 Mexicans due to negligence, equal to the horror of Rwanda. His simplistic rejection of the virulence of the virus has caused our country to occupy the shameful first place in Latin America in deaths of medical personnel. And he is on the beach. He is described as the “architect of the destruction of the Seguro Popular” and of the shortage of medicines. During the COVID pandemic, the Mexico City government, led by Claudia Sheimbaum Pardo, distanced itself from the federal government. She was successful. Now the former head of government is the one who appoints him! Why, a little call from the Deep South?
The couple strolls through the bowels of the house. The proud father—governor of Nuevo León—makes sure that images of the huge closet where his offspring’s shoes are piled up are captured on camera. There are only 100 pairs, and the girl is two years old. What will it be when she is 15? Why not show it off? The reactions are immediate. In a country where shortages abound, the trousseau only exacerbated the hatred. New generations, the brand-new party of renewal? Something is very rotten in our relationship with public life. There will be those who argue that this has always been the case. There will always be cynics. Rubén Figueroa I, governor of Guerrero (1975-1981), is swimming in the pool with a trio entertaining him. The Tiger of Huitzuco welcomed French television. The reporter was responsible for spreading the word worldwide about the peculiar governor, who wore a pistol on his belt and a jorongo (a traditional cloak) due to the cold in his homeland, while traveling in his bus. That was about half a century ago. His eccentricity, to put it mildly, was a scandal. Mexico’s image was shattered. Are we better off? No.
Gaetano Mosca (1858-1941), a now-forgotten author, created the concept of the “political class.” It has nothing to do with Marxist typology. Mosca asserted that the “ruling class” will always be a minority and that the ethical makeup of that group will determine the imprint on society. Beyond ideologies, whether right or left, public life demands that public servants behave in a manner befitting their office. If one is not willing to pay that price, it is better to forget about the public arena.
Cynicism as a philosophy originated in ancient times as a celebration of virtue. It was close to asceticism and simplicity. It begins with self-respect and consistency in one’s behavior toward society. That is what gave it true power. Paradox: Today, cynicism is often associated with shamelessness, brazenness, and a mockery of others and oneself.
We are ruled by cynicism. We need more cynics, but first-generation ones!
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