Sen. Enrique Inzunza (PRI) did not attend a session of the Permanent Commission of the Congress of the Union in Mexico City this week.
His absence occurs as Inzunza faces drug trafficking accusations brought by the U.S. The situation creates a political crisis for the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and intensifies pressure from opposing parties to address the legal charges.
Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas, a leader within the PRI, said Inzunza avoided the session to prevent a "spectacle of the right." This strategy was intended to elude political pressure stemming from the U.S. accusations.
However, other PRI leadership expressed a different view of the absence. Moreno Cárdenas said, "He is hiding; his absence reinforces the allegations against him."
Opposition members from the National Action Party (PAN) have called for Inzunza to step down from his duties. Lilly Téllez of the PAN said the senator should request a leave of absence to address the legal matters in the United States.
"Go to the court in New York and face the accusations," Téllez said.
The Permanent Commission serves as the legislative body that operates when the full Congress is in recess. Inzunza's decision to skip the meeting has highlighted the internal friction within the PRI as they navigate the fallout from the international charges.
“"He is hiding; his absence reinforces the allegations against him."”
The absence of a high-ranking senator during an active U.S. legal investigation suggests a deepening conflict between Mexico's legislative immunity and international judicial cooperation. By skipping the session, Inzunza avoids immediate confrontation with rivals, but the public demand for him to face a New York court indicates that legal pressure may outweigh political shielding.
