Mexico’s finance secretary resigns after Trump visit
MEXICO CITY—One of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s closest advisers and confidants, Finance Secretary Luis Videgaray, resigned on Wednesday in a move seen as linked to the unpopular decision to invite Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to visit Mexico.
Peña Nieto has taken responsibility for inviting Trump, but a former government official familiar with the workings of the administration said Videgaray may have played a preponderant role in the decision.
‘Architect of visit’
Newspaper columnists in Mexico have reported Videgaray was behind last week’s visit, after which Peña Nieto was criticized for not being forceful enough in rejecting Trump’s proposals and comments about Mexico.
Videgaray “was the architect” of Trump’s visit, because he was the adviser that Peña Nieto had “the most reliance on, and was closest to,” said Raymundo Riva Palacio, a columnist and political analyst.
Even Trump himself said Videgaray’s resignation was related to his visit. Trump told a televised US national security forum on Wednesday night that “the people that arranged the trip in Mexico have been forced out of government. That’s how well we did.”
Videgaray acted as Peña Ni- eto’s campaign manager during his 2012 election campaign and has been seen as the architect of many administration policies.
He led Mexico’s treasury department and is sometimes referred to as treasury secretary or minister, but because he oversaw budgets and fiscal policies, his role was closer to that of a finance secretary.
‘ Very loyal’
He has shared both in the president’s triumphs and embarrassments. In 2014, Videgaray acknowledged he had bought a house from the same government contractor that sold a mansion to Peña Nieto’s wife, Angelica Rivera, in the administration’s scandal.
Peña Nieto thanked Videgaray for leading financial reforms during a ceremony at which the president announced he was accepting the resignation. He did not announce a new post for Videgaray.
“He has been an official very committed to Mexico, and very loyal to the president,” Peña Nieto said.
Former Finance Secretary Jose Antonio Meade, who has since served as foreign relations secretary and social development secretary, will replace Videgaray. Luis Enrique Miranda Nava will take over the social development post. deepest