Fernández Noroña lashed out at Santiago Creel for Electric Reform: “Don't make yourself that you don't understand”

After the end of the Mandate Revocation, the next tricky issue on the Mexican political agenda is the upcoming vote on the Electricity Reform, which has been the same or more discussed than the president's consultation.

Its vote was due to take place this Tuesday, April 12, however, it was postponed at the last minute by the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Sergio Gutiérrez Luna, until next Sunday, 17, which caused the disagreement of the seats of those who oppose the project of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).

In fact, members of the National Action Party (PAN) spent the night in the precinct in order not to prevent them from passing, as they had denounced that on the day of the vote the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) would take Saint Lazarus.

However, the president assured that if the vote did not lean in favor of the project, he had a reserve plan for lithium: propose an initiative to reform the Mining Law.

This was shared by the chief executive during his morning conference on Monday, April 11, who said that lithium must be protected so that it is not in the hands of foreigners. In addition, an absolute majority is not required for this, so he said that he felt “sure that will be achieved”.

For this reason, the vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies and member of the PAN, Santiago Creel Miranda, positioned himself through his official Twitter account, against the president's strategy, arguing that minerals are already owned by the nation.

To which the deputy of the Labour Party (PT), Gerardo Fernández Noroña, reiterated that it was a matter of ensuring that it was the sole domain of the nation, since he affirmed that the resources are in the hands of private.

To which the vice president replied that there was no need for a law to be made when the government is the one who concessions the extraction and use of natural resources for private companies, since the constitution states that lithium belongs to the nation and can be concessioned.

“Relief of an unsolicited consultation — does not cause fees —: There is no need for a new law, for the government to grant all available lithium deposits to a public entity. I reiterate, lithium belongs to the nation and I add, the constitution states that it is concessionable, 'waters'”, wrote the deputy.

Creel has taken a stand against the Electricity Reform on previous occasions and has assured that the PAN will rebel against the project together with the Institutional Revolutionary (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution (PRD) in its Coalition Going for Mexico and called for Morena to also rebel.

He also assured that the initiative “hurts Mexico because it pollutes, affects health, climate change, it will cost more expensive to generate electricity and at the end of the day taxpayers or users will pay it, that is, the people will pay for it”.

Last Monday, April 11, the Electric Reform of López Obrador was approved in committees, thus advancing to the plenary session of the Congress of the Union. The opinion was generally endorsed by 25 votes in favour and 19 against in the Energy Committee, and by 22 votes in favour and 18 against in the Committee on Constitutional Points.

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