AMLO declares as National Security all his government’s “megaprojects”

It is a decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation; It obliges agencies to grant provisional authorization for the presentation and / or obtaining of the opinions, permits or licenses necessary to carry them out.

Mexico, (November 23, 2021).- The Presidency of the Republic published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) an agreement declaring the implementation of projects and works by the Government of López Obrador associated with infrastructure in the communications and telecommunications sectors of public interest and national security, customs, border, hydraulic, water, environment, tourism, health, railways, in all its energy modalities, ports, airports and those that, due to their purpose, characteristics, nature, complexity, and magnitude, are considered a priority and/or strategic for national development.

In the document, published in the evening version of this Monday 22, of the DOF, the agencies and entities of the Federal Public Administration are instructed to grant provisional authorization to the presentation and/or obtain the opinions, permits, or licenses necessary to initiate the projects or works referred to in the previous article, and thereby guarantee their timely execution, the expected social benefit and the exercise of the authorized budgets.

It indicates that the provisional authorization will be issued within a maximum period of five business days from the presentation of the corresponding application. “Once said period has elapsed without an express provisional authorization being issued, it will be considered resolved in a positive sense.”

The agreement does not mention it, but the president’s largest infrastructure works are the Dos Bocas refinery, the Maya Train, and the Felipe Ángeles Airport.

The agreement, signed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, which enters into force this Tuesday, stipulates that the provisional authorization will be valid for twelve months, counted from its issuance, a period in which it must be obtained, in accordance with the provisions applicable, the final authorization.

Reactions to AMLO’s decree 

The retired minister, José Ramón Cossío, wrote on his Twitter account that the decree is “obviously” unconstitutional. In turn, EL UNIVERSAL columnists such as Alejandro Hope and Valeria Moy questioned the decree, and warned that this opens the door to opacity in the works: 

#NoalDecretazo https://t.co/u3Y2AlJOLE

— Alejandro Hope (@ahope71) November 23, 2021

Apenas caigo en este acuerdo publicado hoy en el Diario Oficial. Mucho ojo, es tremendo lo que se “acuerda”. En primer lugar, se declara de interés público y seguridad nacional cualquier obra de infraestructura del gobierno. (Adiós transparencia y datos) https://t.co/eBAKxyk7OQ pic.twitter.com/kiYuUFyHab

— Valeria Moy (@ValeriaMoy) November 23, 2021

Acaba de pasar algo GRAVÍSIMO.

El señor que gobierna este país despreciando la constitución, acordó con él mismo y sus pistolas que sus megaproyectos sean asunto de seguridad nacional, se aprueben al chilazo y en un régimen especial de opacidad.

LA LOCURA. pic.twitter.com/6JPhMChyob

— Alfredo Lecona (@AlfredoLecona) November 23, 2021

Source: El Universal