Photo: Google

By KELIN DILLON

On Monday, Oct. 24, Citizens’ Movement (MC) governor of Nuevo León Samuel García announced his candidacy for the Mexican presidency in the country’s upcoming 2024 elections – with specific conditions attached.

In order to be eligible for the race as the MC candidate, García requested six months of leave from his post as the northern Mexican state’s governor – as well as to choose his interim replacement.

However, García’s proposition to select his temporary successor reportedly confounds different aspects of the Nuevo León state constitution.

García made his request under Article 121 of the Nuevo León constitution, which stipulates that the Secretary of Government will remain in power while García is away from his post. 

Meanwhile, Article 122 of the state Constitution states that with more than 30 days of absence away from his role as state governor, the Nuevo León Congress will be in charge of selecting his interim replacement.

The wording of García’s request reportedly complicates the situation, as his potential to judicialize the case in his home state could prevent congress from exercising the constitutional right to choose his successor.

Ironically, García was the main proponent of changes to the Nuevo León constitution, which passed in 2022, that could potentially prevent him from selecting his interim replacement as desired.