Oaxaca Governor Dismisses 12 Cabinet Members After Recall Referendum

ByJorge A. Pérez Alfonso

This article by Jorge A. Pérez Alfonso originally appeared in the February 19, 2026 edition of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

Oaxaca, Oaxaca. After 38.1 percent of voters in the recall referendum held on January 25 requested the resignation of Morena party governor Salomón Jara Cruz, he announced yesterday the departure of seven directors of public institutions in the state and five secretaries of his government, including Carlos Vichido Hernández, husband of his niece, Daniela Jara, who was head of Infrastructure and Communications.

Two weeks ago, Jara Cruz announced that he was conducting an analysis of his administration and would make adjustments to his team in response to the results of the recall process; but he is also doing so after this newspaper documented that at least 20 state public officials are related to the governor.

Just on Tuesday, Shabin Jara Bolaños, the governor’s son, and his nephew, Emmanuel Navarro Jara, resigned as Secretary of Organization and State President of Morena, respectively; that same day Sara Jara Carrasco, also a niece of the head of the state Executive, left the position of Secretary General of the Electoral Tribunal of the State of Oaxaca.

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara during a press conference on January 29 at the municipal palace. Photo: Jorge A. Pérez Alfonso

A day later, Salomón Jara reported on the changes in his cabinet and in various departments; however, he did not refer to his relatives who hold public office, only stating that “those people whose participation in the government has generated social unrest have also submitted their resignations.”

He asserted that with these resignations, which he did not specify, how many there are, or their replacements, “any possible conflict of interest that affects the credibility and trust in the government is eliminated.”

Jara Cruz specified that Sildia Mecott Gómez was appointed to the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Communications – where Carlos Vichido, husband of her niece, was dismissed; and Admiral Félix Quiroz Javier was appointed to head the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, replacing the marine Iván García Álvarez.

Anahí Sarmiento Pérez left the Secretariat of Women and will be replaced by Rogelia Guzmán Ruiz; Juana Hernández López, who was Secretary of Interculturality, was replaced by Víctor Vásquez Castillejos, who throughout this government has been head of Culture and director of the Institute of Native Languages ​​of Oaxaca.

Delfina Guzmán Díaz left the Ministry of Public Education and the position was obtained by Fernanda Chávez Cruz; in turn, Guzmán Díaz is the new director of the College of High School Graduates of the state, replacing Angélica García Pérez.

Also appointed were directors Luis Alberto Sosa Castillo, in the Civil Registry; Juan Manuel García Cañas, in Housing and Welfare; Sergio López Sánchez, in the College of Scientific and Technological Studies of Oaxaca (Cecyteo).

In addition, Alba Velasco Armas, at the Youth Institute; Carlos López Jarquín, at the Commission for the Regularization of Urban Land Tenure of the State of Oaxaca (Coreturo) and Vania Rosalía Bautista, at the Oaxaca Radio and Television Corporation.

Among these appointments, it is noteworthy that Carlos López Jarquín, brother of the deposed Alejandro López Jarquín, who until yesterday was head of the Oaxaca Institute for the Construction of Educational Physical Infrastructure, was appointed to the directorship of Coreturo.

Likewise, Sergio López Sánchez, the new director of Cecyteo, is the brother of Toribio López Sánchez, the current head of the State Traffic Police, and of Israel López, a local deputy for Morena.