Mexico’s Attorney General, Alejandro Gertz Manero, resigned his post Thursday following increasing pressure over the country’s escalating security concerns and recent political violence. Gertz, who had served since 2019, announced his departure in a letter to the Senate, and will transition to a new role as ambassador at the invitation of President Claudia Sheinbaum. The Senate swiftly confirmed his resignation, setting in motion a legally defined process to appoint a successor amidst ongoing challenges to the nation’s justice system.
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Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico’s Attorney General, announced his resignation Thursday, submitting a letter to the Senate. The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the country’s security crisis and follows the recent assassination of a mayor in Michoacán state.
In the letter, read before the full Senate, Gertz stated that President Claudia Sheinbaum offered him a position as ambassador “to a friendly country,” which he has accepted.
“This proposal will allow me the opportunity to continue serving my country in a new task that honors me and for which I am grateful; thus reaffirming my vocation for public service of such long standing,” Gertz added. “For this reason, as of this date and with all the legal effects that correspond, I am retiring from my current position as Attorney General of the Republic.”
The Senate confirmed Gertz’s resignation Thursday, voting 74 to 22 with no abstentions.
Gertz’s departure followed a day of rumors and speculation regarding his future at the Fiscalía. Earlier Thursday, Sheinbaum stated that Gertz had not yet informed her of his intention to resign, though she acknowledged receiving “a document from the Senate.”
“I received a letter from the Senate of the Republic, and I am analyzing it with the lawyers and the Legal Counsel,” the president told reporters during her daily press conference. “We will inform you tomorrow.”
The resignation comes as Mexico grapples with a worsening security crisis, highlighted by the November assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo in Michoacán, a state heavily impacted by violence. You can read more about the case here.
Sheinbaum also recognized Gertz’s work and the coordination they maintained, while noting the need to further strengthen collaboration with local prosecutors.
“It has been good work at the head of the Fiscalía. We have coordinated on many issues. I believe that we need much more coordination between the state prosecutors and the Attorney General’s Office,” she said.
Gertz had served as Attorney General since 2019, with a nine-year term originally extending until 2028.
According to Mexican law, the Senate must compile a list of 10 candidates and submit it to the President. Sheinbaum will then select a shortlist of three nominees, which will be returned to the Senate for a vote requiring a two-thirds majority. The change in leadership underscores the ongoing challenges facing Mexico’s justice system.
