Segalmex: "The Stain on AMLO's Government"

The scandal involving Seguridad Alimentaria Mexicana (Segalmex) has been one of the most significant issues in the administration of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). Segalmex was established to provide essential food supplies to vulnerable communities in Mexico. However, it has faced a series of irregularities and allegations of defalcation amounting to over 15 billion pesos.

According to reports by the Auditoría Superior de la Federación (ASF) and the Secretaría de Función Pública (SFP), now the Ministry of Anti-corruption and Good Governance, these misappropriations were recorded over several years, involving high-profile figures such as Hugo Buentello Carbonell, subdirector of operations at Liconsa, a subsidiary of Segalmex.

The scandal continued to unravel when Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad (MCCI) reported Buentello's arrest on April 11, 2025. The incident brought to light several questionable contracts, overpricing, and phantom procurements within Segalmex. This series of events led to multiple allegations, with the ASF uncovering unaccounted sums of 5,640 billion pesos for Segalmex, 1,584 billion pesos in Liconsa, and 1,413 billion pesos in Diconsa in 2022 alone.

The magnitude of the financial discrepancies prompted the resignation of Ignacio Ovalle Fernández, then director of Segalmex, as AMLO described the affair as "a stain" on his government. Subsequently, legal actions were initiated, with over 100 complaints related to fraud within Segalmex being investigated, leading to 26 arrests by November 2023.

This corruption case was not just a lapse in oversight but a reflection of systemic issues within the governmental procurement and management sectors. The revelations around Segalmex highlight the ongoing challenge of establishing transparent and accountable governance in Mexico.