Breathe
By Sandra Romandía
"Power reveals man; only cowards are brave with the power that impunity lends them", wrote Octavio Paz in a reflection on theessence of power, that which transforms men when they are accountable to no one. And precisely this phrase makes me think of Manuel Bartlett, a character who, throughout his extensive political career, has been a living example of how power, when accompanied by impunity, can reveal the darkest aspects of those who wield it.
Bartlett, who has gone through several PRI and now Morenista public administrations, concludes his role at the head of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) leaving behind him a trail of irregularities. Today, in Emeequis, we publish a new report, signed by Alejandro Alatriste, which uncovers another of his questionable decisions: the purchase of 414.5 million pesos in fuel for an inoperative thermoelectric plant. This report, together with the revelation of the diversion of more than one billion pesos in electronic purses to Liverpool, portray with crudeness the magnitude of his legacy in the CFE.
The first report, published last October 2 under the investigative pen of Jorge García Orozco, revealed that during the six-year term of former President Andres Manuel López Obrador, the CFE, under Bartlett's leadership, signed 93 contracts with the Liverpool department store, resulting in an expenditure of more than 1.07 billion pesos. These electronic purses, given as part of an alleged benefit for the purchase of uniforms and work clothes, are a clear example of how the management of public resources in Bartlett's hands became a reward system for his employees and, possibly, a diversion disguised as "benefits". A scandal of impressive magnitude that reflects the opacity in the administration of one of the most strategic sectors of the country.
And just when we thought we had seen it all, today we publish a new blow: the "Bartlett inheritance" not only includes expensive purses, but also the acquisition of fuel oil for 414.5 million pesos for a thermoelectric plant in Guaymas, Sonora, which stopped operating in 2019. Just one month after the last delivery of 26,958 m³ of fuel, the plant closed its operations. Since then, that fuel oil, along with 9,697 m³ of diesel, has been stored in corroded tanks, with the imminent risk of a catastrophic spill. In any other country, this case would be a major scandal, and the former official would be called to account. But what will happen here? Probably nothing, except that the knowledge of the case will be etched in the memory of the voters who, at some point, will have to make decisions in a democratic system increasingly weakened by impunity.
In the report entitled Bartlett Inheritance: purchase of 414.5 million pesos in fuel for an inoperative thermoelectric plant, it is detailed how this fuel, which cost millions to Mexican taxpayers, remains unused since 2019. In addition, the report reveals that the CFE itself has recognized the latent environmental risk due to the corrosion of the tanks, located below the water table, which raises the possibility of a leak during seasonal rains. Added to this is the irregular contracting of a disqualified company, which was awarded contracts for work on installations that did not even correspond to the original terms. This absurd purchase, accompanied by the CFE's operational negligence, leaves an indelible stain on Bartlett's administration, another in his long list of irregularities, corruption and poorly made decisions that have accompanied him since his days as Secretary of the Interior.
Manuel Bartlett has been a key figure in some of the darkest episodes of Mexico's recent history, from the murder of DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena in 1985 to the electoral fraud of 1988, when "the system fell" to favor Carlos Salinas de Gortari. In spite of accusations and investigations for corruption and illicit enrichment, Bartlett continues to be untouchable. During the six-year term of the "Fourth Transformation," far from being punished, he was protected and turned into an emblem of the continuity of the old vices of the system under a new flag.
Today, while Bartlett leaves his post "intact", leaving behind more than one billion pesos in contracts with Liverpool and hundreds of millions in fuel stored in unusable tanks, it is clear that impunity continues to be the currency of Mexican politics. Where are the consequences for those who squander public resources? Where is the accountability for those who, like Bartlett, have done and undone throughout their careers without facing any repercussions?
As journalists, our job is to continue investigating, bringing to light the irregularities, deviations and acts of corruption that the powerful try to hide under the cloak of impunity. At Emeequis, we will continue, during this new six-year term, to expose those acts that the authorities want to keep in the shadows. Because, even if power continues to reveal the worst in men, journalism will continue to be a beacon of light in the darkness.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
Comments ()