Former Attorney General of Mexico Alejandro Gertz Manero affirmed that he left the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to “make a change” in his “public life,” as he advanced his ratification process as Mexico’s ambassador to the United Kingdom in Congress.
During an appearance before the First Committee on Political and International Affairs of the Permanent Committee of the Mexican Congress, Gertz Manero defended the legitimacy of his appointment as ambassador, pointing out that his departure from the FGR was a personal decision that he submitted to the Senate.
“I submitted to the Senate and made myself available to them, as I am doing at this moment, and when I considered that a change had to be made in my public life,” said the official.
Gertz Manero pointed out that his work will focus on strengthening academic cooperation with that country and promoting the return and connection of Mexican talent trained in British universities.
“It is a truly extraordinary case that in Great Britain there is the largest number of Mexicans studying at a higher education level than in all of Europe,” he stated.
The former prosecutor added that the intention is that this human capital can later contribute to the development of the country, noting that the objective is that “once they have the knowledge they are acquiring, they can refer it to their life and work in Mexico.”
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In parallel, he indicated that his agenda will include strengthening the bilateral economic relationship and attracting investment, considering that “Mexico has an important economic relationship with England.”
“Our balance is favorable, but I think there is enormous potential that we must take into account,” said the former prosecutor.
On November 27, with 74 votes in favor and 22 against, the Senate endorsed Gertz Manero’s request to leave the position of attorney general and assume a new diplomatic assignment “in a friendly country,” as proposed by President Claudia Sheinbaum.
It was not until January 7 when Sheinbaum confirmed that said country would be the United Kingdom.
Now, his appointment was approved by the First Commission of the Permanent Party with 10 votes in favor of the ruling parties National Regeneration Movement (Morena) and Green Ecologist of Mexico (PVEM) and an abstention from the Citizen Movement, despite the absence of the opposition National Action Party (PAN), Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the also ruling Labor Party (PT).
It is expected that the legislators’ decision will be ratified next Monday before the total number of legislators that make up the Permanent Commission, and subsequently Gertz Manero could serve as ambassador.
Almost two months ago, Gertz Manero, 86, signed his resignation as head of the FGR, through a letter in which he assured that the Mexican president had proposed him as Mexico’s ambassador to a friendly country.
Gertz Manero took over as attorney general in January 2019 and was scheduled to remain in office until January 2028.
In her place at the FGR, Ernestina Godoy, Sheinbaum’s former legal advisor, was appointed at the beginning of December.
With information from EFE.
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