The Analogy of Power, Responsibility, and Evasion
The public display of 34 pharmaceutical companies deemed “non-compliant” during the presidential morning press conference on September 23 mirrors an ancient practice: publicly washing one’s hands to evade responsibility for a tragedy that could have been prevented. This practice echoes Pontius Pilate’s actions from two millennia ago.
Pontius Pilate and the Pharmaceutical Crisis in Mexico
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, faced a decision that would alter history. He had absolute authority to release Jesus, knowing he was innocent (“I find no guilt in him”), yet chose to yield to political pressure from “the people.” His response was iconic: he publicly washed his hands, declaring, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; it is your responsibility” (Matthew 27:24).
Two thousand years later, the federal government of Mexico mirrors this strategy in response to the shortage of medications affecting millions of patients. It has absolute power to resolve the crisis—it controls budgets, sets policies, and manages consolidated purchases—but instead of taking responsibility for decisions that caused the chaos, it publicly exhibits pharmaceutical companies as the sole culprits.
Decisions that Created the Crisis
Just as Pilate knew the consequences of his decision, the federal government was aware of the risks involved in dismantling the pharmaceutical supply system. The decisions were deliberate and documented:
- Elimination of the Seguro Popular (2019): Left 44.5 million people without coverage in 2024, lacking a functional replacement system.
- Destruction of consolidated purchases by the IMSS: A system that functioned “reasonably efficiently” was dismantled without evidence of corruption, only unproven accusations.
- Creation of multiple failed dependencies: Official Mayor’s Office, UNOPS, INSABI, BIRMEX, “Megafarmacia”—each change generated more chaos and fewer medications for patients. Now, the Secretary of Health will be responsible according to the executive federal initiative and quick-cooked congressional process.
- Awarding contracts to companies without capacity: Granting multi-million dollar contracts to foreign companies based solely on “ridiculously low” prices without verifying their actual ability to fulfill them.
The Show of “Washing of Hands”
The September 23 morning press conference was a modern enactment of Pilate’s hand-washing. Eduardo Clark meticulously displayed 34 companies with non-compliance percentages, from Bioxintegral (100%) to Pisa (16.8%), while President Sheinbaum threateningly declared they would be “disqualified” and face “penal accusations.”
However, where was the government’s self-reflection on its own decisions? Where was the acknowledgment that many of these companies were chosen due to flawed government criteria? Where was the explanation for why over 14,000 million pesos (some sources cite 40,000 million pesos) are owed to the established pharmaceutical industry while these new companies are being publicly blamed?
Like Pilate, the government presents itself as a victim of circumstances: “we want 100% supply, but these non-compliant companies prevent us.” This logic mirrors Pilate’s: “I wanted to save the innocent, but the crowd wouldn’t let me.”
Consequences of Evading Responsibility
Pilate believed public hand-washing would free him from historical responsibility. History judged differently: his name became synonymous with injustice and moral cowardice. His hand-washing did not exonerate him; it condemned him.
In the pharmaceutical shortage case, government evasion has equally grave consequences. While the government “exhibits” non-compliant companies, patients continue to die due to a lack of available medications. The 44.5 million Mexicans without healthcare access (compared to 20.1 million in 2018) and the 857,759 households that fell into poverty due to health issues in 2024 are the historical witnesses of this failure.
The Moral Distinction
There’s a crucial difference between Pilate and the current government: Pilate at least implicitly acknowledged his responsibility by washing his hands. His gesture admitted he had the power to change the outcome. The federal government, however, acts as if it’s entirely unrelated to the problem, treating the shortage as an inevitable natural phenomenon.
Maribel Ramírez Coronel meticulously documents this: López Obrador promised in 2019 that Mexico would have “a better healthcare system than Denmark.” The result was the opposite: more people without healthcare access, fewer available medications, and increased suffering for the most vulnerable.
Ineludible Responsibility
Power carries responsibility, and this responsibility cannot be transferred through public spectacles of blaming. The non-compliant pharmaceutical companies must answer for their contracts, but this does not exonerate the government from:
- Its contracting decisions: Why award contracts to companies without proven capacity?
- Its massive debts since 2019: How can compliance be expected without paying what’s already been delivered?
- Its institutional design: Why create a less efficient system than its predecessor?
History as Judge
As Pilate discovered too late, history does not accept public hand-washing as an excuse. Governments that evade responsibility for tragedies they could have prevented are marked by this moral cowardice.
The public exhibition of pharmaceutical companies in presidential morning press conferences will not save the lives of cancer patients without chemotherapy or resolve the crisis created by the government’s decisions. It will only serve as historical evidence that, when it had the power to act correctly, preferred public hand-washing.
*The author (www.ectorjaime.mx) is a general surgery specialist, certified in public health, and holds doctorates in health sciences and public administration. He is a legislator and advocate for Mexico’s public health, a reelected PAN group member in the LXVI Legislature.
