Background and Relevance of the Anti-Corruption System in Mexico
The National Anti-Corruption System (SNA) was established ten years ago through a constitutional reform, aiming to create an effective coordination space with autonomous institutions, binding citizen participation, and a preventive approach prioritizing accountability and social well-being. However, experts, authorities, and representatives from various sectors gathered at the event “The National Anti-Corruption System: Challenges and Perspectives a Decade After Constitutional Reform” to discuss the system’s progress.
Key Figures and Their Roles
Raquel Buenrostro Sánchez, the newly appointed head of the Secretariat for Anti-Corruption and Good Governance, acknowledged that while the SNA was designed to coordinate institutional efforts uniquely, its results over a decade have fallen short of expectations.
“Either we make the system work and fulfill its mandate, or we condemn it to irrelevance,” Buenrostro warned. She emphasized the need for a national coordination space with clear rules, verifiable commitments, and a shared vision.
Alejandro Encinas Nájera, the undersecretary of the department, highlighted the significance of state systems, as their progress supports national coordination. He proposed learning from successful local experiences and fostering a culture of intolerance to corruption starting from early education, including curriculum modifications and awareness campaigns.
María de la Luz Mijangos, the federal anti-corruption special prosecutor, discussed the evolution of corruption from individual acts to sophisticated networks with transnational links and connections to organized crime. She questioned institutional collaboration.
Fernanda Galicia, the director of Mexiro A.C., called for a profound transformation of the SNA rather than cosmetic adjustments, given the centralization of power, weakening of checks and balances, and a vulnerable judicial system.
Key Announcements and Concerns
Alejandro Encinas Nájera announced concrete measures, including the regulation of lobbying in federal public administration by the end of 2025 and the creation of a reliable supplier registry to ensure transparency in public procurement.
María de la Luz Mijangos pointed out that corruption has evolved from individual acts to complex networks with transnational links and organized crime connections, questioning institutional collaboration effectiveness.
Vania Pérez, president of the SNA CPC, admitted that the system’s results have not been sufficient and called for overcoming inertia and resistance to change.
Fernanda Galicia proposed three key conditions for a new national anti-corruption pact: autonomous institutions, binding citizen participation, and an intersectional approach addressing structural inequalities.
She also highlighted the incomplete status of over 75% of state anti-corruption systems, the lack of operational and financial autonomy of the National Transparency Platform, and recent reforms like the Public Works Law failing to ensure access to crucial information.
Galicia also pointed out the opacity surrounding projects led by the Armed Forces and the lack of recognition for sexual corruption as a serious form of abuse.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the National Anti-Corruption System (SNA)? The SNA was established a decade ago to create an effective coordination space with autonomous institutions, binding citizen participation, and a preventive approach prioritizing accountability and social well-being.
- Why is the SNA facing challenges? The SNA has faced challenges due to insufficient results, evolving corruption into complex networks, weakened institutional collaboration, and the need for profound transformation rather than cosmetic adjustments.
- What measures have been proposed to address these challenges? Proposed measures include regulating lobbying in federal public administration, creating a reliable supplier registry for transparency in public procurement, learning from successful local experiences, and fostering a culture of intolerance to corruption starting from early education.
- What are the key conditions for a new national anti-corruption pact? The key conditions include autonomous institutions, binding citizen participation, and an intersectional approach addressing structural inequalities.
