The day that former president Adolfo López Mateos warned that 'bad Mexicans' would hand over energy to foreign investors

In September 2022, it will be 62 years since the former president of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, nationalized the country's electricity industry, however, more than half a century after acquiring the then called Compañía de Luz y Fuercia Motriz, the situation of the energy sector in Mexico is once again under debate that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promoted his controversial Electric Reform.

The Tabasco president's initiative has been severely criticized by opposition groups and supported by allies of the Fourth Transformation; although discussion is still open in the Chamber of Deputies, Mexico's historical memory has become a a great ally in defending positions and directing the country towards a favorable future for the citizens who inhabit it.

In this context, it is pertinent to recall the occasion when former President Adolfo Mateos, following in the footsteps of General Lazaro Cardenas and the oil expropriation, returned electricity to Mexicans, which he pointed out that it was for the exclusive use of the nation. Similarly, the former president issued a warning about the future, in which he predicted that future officials could hand over the country's energy and resources to foreign companies.

“I give you back electricity, it is the exclusive property of the nation, but do not trust yourself because in future years some bad Mexicans identified with the worst causes in the country will try, by subtle means, to hand over oil and our resources again to foreign investors,” said former President Adolfo López Mateos. after nationalizing electricity.

Similarly, during his speech delivered in 1960, Adolfo López Mateos explained that when the Mexican nation took possession of the electricity company, a long effort was made by the people of Mexico to get their hands on the electricity that is produced in the country by Mexicans.

“The constitution is very clear, energy resources and oil fields are the perpetuity sole and exclusive property of the Mexican people. Industrializing the country does not imply a public auction of natural resources or the indiscriminate handing over of the country's heritage,” Adolfo López Mateos said in a letter addressed to the people of Mexico.

Last Thursday, January 27, the eighth Open Parliament Forum was held in which the Electricity Reform of Andrés Manuel López Obrador is discussed. On that occasion, the initiative promoted by former President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018) in the field of energy was analyzed, which, according to specialists, did not provide the proposed results.

Carlos Meza, professor of amparo and constitutional law, said that the electricity reform of the current administration will bring great and real changes in the sector, the country's economy and users, who are the recipients of the electricity supply.

Unlike this initiative that is being discussed in the Open Parliament, the one in 2013 was not subject to debate and assured that its purpose “was to dismantle and privatize the nation's strategic areas for the benefit of the transnational corporations and this represents one of the greatest arbitrariness that has been committed against our country.”

He also argued that it is essential to recover what “the beneficiary companies that somehow have privileged contracts have deprived us of, since the CFE bears these high losses”.

Despite the statements that experts have made during the Open Parliament sessions in which the Electricity Reform is being discussed, the opposition coalition “is going to Mexico” presented its counter-proposal to the initiative promoted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on April 4.

Through a press conference held at a hotel in Mexico City, around 1:00pm (central Mexico time), representatives of the alliance promoted by businessmen Claudio X. González and Gustavo de Hoyos, through Yes for Mexico, pointed out, among other things, that lithium could be used by private.

However, the draft opinion for the Energy Reform proposed by the Federal Executive will be discussed in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday, April 11 at 11 o'clock in the morning, the day after the Mandate Revocation takes place on Sunday, 10 April.

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