Cabinet Shuffle...

CABINET SHUFFLE

President Enrique Peña Nieto announced his cabinet shuffles, no new faces, but there is a change in the power structure of the Cabinet.

The Secretaries of Social Development   (Secretaría de Desarrollo Social) in a surprise decision will now be headed by Jose Antonio Meade Kuribreña who was the Secretary of Foreign Relations.  With this appointment the President is sending a message that Meade is a potential presidential candidate for 2018, and would be competing with current Secretary of Interior Miguel Angel Osorio Chong and the Secretary of Finance Luis Videgaray who both have been seeking to be the candidates since the beginning of the Peña administration.

Also surprising is the appointment of Claudia Ruiz Massieu as the new Secretary of Foreign Relations, in replacement of Jose Antonio Meade, who leaves the Secretary of Tourism. Ruiz Massieu will now be the most powerful women in the cabinet.   She is replaced by Enrique De la Madrid, son of former President Miguel de la Madrid. He was heading the Foreign Commercial Bank (Bancomex).  

Jose Antonio Meade replaces Rosario Robles Berlanga who will now head the Secretary of Agrarian Development and Urban Planning (Secretaría de Desarrollo Agrario Territorial y Urbano) in replacement of Jorge Carlos Ramírez Marín who was elected for congress in the June 2015 elections.

Another surprising appointment is Aurelio Nuño, the President’s closest advisor (Chief of Staff) Aurelio Nuño will be the Secretary of Secretary  of Public Education (Secretaría de Educación Pública) replacing the ailing Emilio Chuayffet Chemor.  Nuño will have the enormous responsibility of assuring the adequate implementation of the education reform, one of Peña´s key programs.  It is difficult to imagine de Aurelio Nuño could launch a presidential candidacy from this Ministry, despite is close relationship with the President.

Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) Juan José Guerra Abud will be leaving, he wants to be Mexico´s ambassador in Italy or the Vatican. He is replaced by Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, who is a Green Party quota appointment.  The Green Party played a key role in elections alliances with the PRI for the 2015 midterm elections.  Pacchiano is also from the State of Mexico.

The Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación) Enrique Martínez y Martínez, will be replaced by the Governor of Queretaro Jose Calzada.

There is a fallout of the Chapo Guzman prison break.  The Commissioner of Public Security Monte Alejandro Rubido will be replaced by Renato Sales who is the Anti-Kidnapping Czar.

Who stays: Secretary of the Interior (Secretario de Gobernación) Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong and the Secretary of Finance and Public Credit (Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público) Luis Videgaray Caso, Peñas key players in the Cabinet.  Both are still considered to be front runner candidates for the presidential race in 2018.

Secretary of National Defense (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional) General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda and Secretary of Navy (Secretaría de Marina) Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberón Sanz also will continue.  Historically both these Secretaries will head their ministries for the entire 6 years.

Secretariat of the Civil Service (Secretaría de la Función Pública) Virgilio Andrade who last week had a press conference presenting results of an investigation against the President, the First Lady and the Secretary of Finance.  None were found guilty.

The Attorney General (Procurador General de la Republica) Areli Gomez, who was recently appointed will also remain.  As well as Secretary of Economy (Secretaría de Economia) Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, Secretary of Communications and Transportation (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes) Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, and Secretary of Energy (Secretaría de Energía) Pedro Joaquín Coldwell also remains as well as the Secretary of Health (Secretaría de Salud)  Mercedes Juan López.  

NOTE:  In the original publication of this piece we stated that the  Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare   (Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social)  Alfonso Navarrete Prida was also stepping down to run for governor in two years for State of Mexico, which is not true.  At least at this point.