Mexico’s president condemns governor’s brief return to office

By Reuters and The Associated PressPublished On 24 Aug 202624 Aug 2026Mexico’s president has said it was “reckless” and “not appropriate” for a Mexican governor to return to his post while facing a domestic investigation following United States drug-trafficking allegations.Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, 77, of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, which is located in the northwest of the country, had requested another temporary, indefinite leave of absence from his post, just days after defiantly reclaiming office for a day.Now, however, he faces a backlash from his Morena party, the same political party as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.Morena asserted that its national leadership had no foreknowledge of Rocha’s return, calling it his “personal decision”. The Senate bloc urged restraint and respect while the investigation unfolds, while Morena governors issued a joint statement asserting that “personal or group political projects have no place” when the country’s interests are at stake.The comments follow Rocha’s 112-day absence due to an April US drug-trafficking indictment. Rocha is the first sitting governor in Mexico to face drug-trafficking charges by the US.Rocha has denied the charges, ...