Breathe
By Julieta del Río
Why defend INAI over the people who have been appointed to be Commissioners? The National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) exists thanks to two rights enshrined in our Constitution (in Articles 6 and 16) and derived from the General Law of Transparency and Access to Public Information, as well as in the laws for the protection of personal data in possession of obligated subjects or individuals.
That is, it is an autonomous body that exists by law for the benefit of society. The commissioners are appointed by the Senate for a period of 7 years in which we are sworn to watch over the transparency and privacy of the people, however, at the end of the day we are just passing through. The former and current commissioners have been multidisciplinary, that is, each one with experience in different areas. If mistakes have been made in the past, or at present, let the responsible persons assume responsibility, but let the Institution not be tarnished.
INAI, as any public entity, must comply with the maxim that "a good judge begins with his own house", therefore, in the face of any suspicion, any problem of the past, it must promote the maximum disclosure of information and deliver it to society, only then will citizens have the necessary tools to form their own criteria.
Likewise, and as I have said since I arrived: no one can be above the change we need. INAI must renew itself and address the complaints that I have been making over and over again and that were even delivered to the Superior Audit Office of the Federation (ASF), which ordered to initiate forensic audits. For this reason, I will continue to fight through institutional channels to obtain the corresponding sanctions. Hopefully, history will put everyone in their place and whoever did it, will pay for it.
The fact that society has the INAI can be translated into keeping "its eyes" to be able to visualize all the actions of the institutions, of the 8,253 obligated subjects that currently exist, including the 743 of the federation, to which we can instruct them to deliver information that was previously requested by a person. The fact that Mexicans have an "arbiter" in transparency and personal data protection is the result of social struggles of more than two decades and it is not in anyone's interest that there are setbacks.
I was sworn in as INAI Commissioner in November 2020, and practically all of 2021 we worked remotely because of the pandemic, therefore, my duty as a public servant is to assume what I have voted from that date forward, and I take it as I have done in my 34-year career in public service, because we must honor our word.
By the way, the National Survey on Access to Public Information and Protection of Personal Data (ENAID, 2019) the "54.8% of the population stated that they knew or had heard about the existence of a government institution that guarantees the right to know and data protection", but today, in 2024, given the disinformation campaign to which our institute has been subjected in recent months, we must take the good that this has caused: this figure is likely to have increased, which is good, and now we must encourage them to exercise their rights to change realities.
I have always acted in accordance with my personal, ethical and moral values. Throughout my professional career I have been consistent with what I think and do; this time is no exception. INAI is worth more than any personal interest, it belongs to the Mexican people.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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