The National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Personal Data Protection ( INAI ) recently revealed that transparency has not improved during the current administration, especially when compared to previous governments. It is evident that although President López Obrador claims that his administration is different from others, his affirmation is still far from becoming a reality.
EL UNIVERSAL recently interviewed Francisco Javier Acuña Llamas, the head of the INAI. The government official explained the number of people who request information from the institute has increased by one-third and that they often request documents linked to public administration; however, documents and responses did not increase at the same pace. Moreover, citizens who request public information are not satisfied with the responses. Once they start the process to request information and documents, people often have to make two or three requests in total, or file complaints before the institute because the information provided did not solve their doubts. All this leads to people having a bad opinion of the INAI, not of the government department that did not provide the necessary documents or information.
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As expected, the majority of information requests deal with projects launched by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, such as the Santa Lucía airport and the Mayan Train. These projects spark concern among Mexicans because of their prices, tenders, and environmental impact.
Although the Mexican President is characterized by his daily news conferences, this does not equal transparency.
Transparency means having total access to public information with the aim of Mexicans informing themselves, comparing information, analyzing documents, certifying facts, and looking for second or third opinions. The main goal is to form an opinion, in support of or against public policies and government officials. Regarding the open access to official documents and accountability, Mexico is still closer to opacity than to transparency.
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