Samuel García (politician)

Samuel Alejandro García Sepúlveda (born 28 December 1987) is a Mexican lawyer and politician serving as the governor of Nuevo León. A member of the Citizens' Movement party, he served as a local deputy in the Congress of Nuevo León from 2015 to 2018 and represented Nuevo León in the Senate from 2018 to 2020.

Born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, García has an extensive academic background, holding three doctoral degrees: one in public policy and public administration from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), in tax law from ITAC University, and in constitutional law and governance from the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL). He has authored three books and taught tax law at UANL.

García was elected governor of Nuevo León in 2021, defeating the Institutional Revolutionary Party nominee, Adrián de la Garza, by 10.21%. As governor, he has focused on boosting foreign investment through nearshoring and expanding the state's infrastructure, particularly the Metrorrey network and highways. His tenure also saw him manage the Nuevo León water crisis.

In 2023, García secured the Citizens' Movement presidential nomination for the 2024 election, but withdrew amidst a political crisis over the appointment of an interim governor in Nuevo León.

Early years and education

García was born on 28 December 1987 in Monterrey, Nuevo León to Samuel Orlando García Mascorro and Bertha Silvia Sepúlveda Andrade. His father was from Guardados de Abajo, Tamaulipas, who moved to Nuevo León to study law at the age of 14, eventually becoming a lawyer and prosecutor.

García is the eldest of three siblings: Silvia Catalina, Cecilia, and Roberto. He has an older half-brother, Samuel Orlando García Villarreal. He is related to Gilberto García Mena, a former high-ranking member of the Gulf Cartel known as "El June," who is his father's cousin.

García hosted a children's newscast on ''Canal 28 Nuevo León'', a state-owned TV channel, where he conducted interviews and would conclude the program with readings on religious topics, taken from his mother's books.

Education

García completed his secondary education at Colegio San Patricio Monterrey from 1999 to 2002 and continued at Prepa Tec from 2002 to 2005. Following this, he enrolled at ITESM, obtaining a B.A. in law and finance in 2010, followed by a master's degree in public law in 2012. As a high school and undergraduate student at ITESM, he frequently participated as a speaker.

García obtained his first Ph.D. in public policy and public administration from ITESM in 2014.ITESM, Campus Monterrey (August 20, 2009).
Panorama-No. 1609, Año XLII
. ''Panorama''. pp. 16–17. Retrieved May 08, 2023. His dissertation, ''Fiscal Federalism in Mexico'', received an honorable mention and was published as a book in 2016. Subsequently, he earned a second Ph.D. in tax law from ITAC University in 2019. In 2022, he achieved his third Ph.D. in constitutional law and governance from UANL. His dissertation, titled ''Local Constitutions in Mexico and the Realization of Federative Entities' Autonomy: A Special Focus on the Nuevo León Case'', delves into how federalism in Mexico has been eroding due to the centralized system of national politics.

Early political career

In 2014, García joined (), an organization which allowed him to run for a local congressional seat through proportional representation.

Local deputy

Despite his loss to Marcelo Martínez Villarreal in the race for the 18th district seat during the 2015 Nuevo León state election, García successfully secured a congressional seat through proportional representation.

While he was a state deputy, he was named the parliamentary coordinator of Citizens' Movement in the Congress of Nuevo León. As part of his campaign, García pledged to donate his salary, a promise he fulfilled by donating to ().

In 2017, he assumed provisional leadership of the Citizens' Movement party in the state of Nuevo León, succeeding . He held this position until 2 August 2019, when Agustín Basave Alanís was elected as the state's party leader.

Senate of the Republic (2018–2020)

Election

In the 2018 Mexican general election, Samuel García and Indira Kempis Martínez were nominated by Citizens' Movement to represent Nuevo León in the Senate, with García occupying the first place on the party's two-name formula. They were successfully elected, obtaining 24.21% of the vote, beating the National Action Party's candidates, Víctor Oswaldo Fuentes Solís and Alejandra Maria Sada Alanis, by only 15,131 votes.

Tenure

At the age of 30, García became one of the youngest senators of the LXIV legislature, only being surpassed by Raúl Bolaños Cacho Cué of the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM) at 30 years old, and by Citlalli Hernández and Claudia Balderas Espinoza of MORENA, who were 28 and 26 years old respectively.

In October 2018, he travelled to The Hague as part of the Mexican Senate's appeal against the former governor of Veracruz, Javier Duarte de Ochoa, on charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court. The Mexican Senate accused Duarte of orchestrating the distribution of 70,000 counterfeit HIV tests and fraudulent treatments to children with cancer during his administration.

In October 2019, he filed a report with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) against the then governor of Nuevo León, Jaime Rodríguez Calderón, alleging crimes such as money laundering and misappropriation of resources. He asserted that he possessed substantial evidence, referencing four judgments from the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF) that purportedly implicated Jaime Rodríguez Calderón in these illicit activities.

According to García, he was the second most productive senator, having introduced 370 bills and points of agreement, in addition to making 119 speeches in the chamber.

On 17 November 2020, he sought temporary leave from his senatorial seat to pursue the governorship of Nuevo León in the 2021 gubernatorial elections. During his absence, assumed his role.

Commission assignments

For the LXIV Legislature of the Mexican Congress:

* Federalism and Municipal Development Commission (chairman)
* North American Foreign Affairs Commission (secretary)
* Commission for Monitoring the Implementation of T-MEC
* Commission of Legislative Studies
* Commission of Finance and Public Credit
* Jurisdictional Commission
* Justice Commission
* Commission for Youth and Sports
* Constitutional Points Commission

2021 gubernatorial campaign

Nomination

On 15 November 2020, Citizens' Movement announced that García and local deputy Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas were seeking the party's gubernatorial nomination. On 25 January 2021, Colosio dropped out and declared his candidacy for the municipal president of Monterrey, leaving García as the only gubernatorial precandidate. On 18 February 2021, García's candidacy became officially registered with the State Electoral Commission (CEE).

Gubernatorial election

On 5 March 2021, García kicked off his campaign at a conference where he unveiled proposals for a new tax agreement, a new vaccination plan funded with private investment, a new public transport system, a new infrastructure program, an intensified fight against corruption, and a new regional airport hub. He positioned himself as an incorruptible politician, emphasizing his lack of ties to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), and having donated his salary for six years. His campaign motto was ().

García frequently attacked Adrián de la Garza (PRI) and (MORENA), claiming that both candidates embodied "the old politics of the PRI". He used the video of Clara Luz Flores with NXIVM's Keith Raniere to further his point, questioning, "between Clara Luz and Adrián de la Garza, who of the two has the most criminal, evil, and perverse godfather? Which of the two has done and will do more damage to Nuevo León?".During his campaign, García faced criticism from his past comments which were perceived as "out of touch" with voters. These included him describing his childhood as challenging because his father forced him to play golf and by claiming people could live on a "small salary of $50,000 pesos", despite most Mexicans earning significantly less than $7,500 pesos per month.

García's campaign gained momentum through his wife's social media presence. Mariana Rodríguez Cantú, a well-known influencer with a following of over 1.7 million followers on Instagram, inadvertently viralized the campaign in a video where she showcased her orange sneakers and described them as, "Fosfo, fosfo", which was subsequently adopted as a slogan by García's campaign and the Citizens' Movement party.

On 6 June 2021, García was elected to a six-year term as the governor of Nuevo León with 36.71% of the vote, defeating six other candidates. He became the first Citizens' Movement candidate to be elected governor in Nuevo León.

Governor of Nuevo León (2021–present)

García was sworn in as the governor of Nuevo León on October 4, 2021.

Economy

Taking advantage of industrial firms seeking to move their supply chains from China to Mexico, García has spearheaded the nearshoring trend, with the governor frequently traveling abroad to negotiate with business leaders. Notable investors in the state include Bosch, Lego, Siemens, LGMG, and John Deere. Tesla also agreed to build a gigafactory in the state by 2026 following negotiations between García and CEO Elon Musk. The state broke foreign direct investment records in both 2022 and 2023, reaching $4.5 billion in 2023 alone.

García withheld the 2023 and 2024 budgets, accusing the opposition in the Congress of Nuevo León of planning to divert funds to certain municipalities. As a consequence, many state and municipal projects faced delays or were stopped due to a lack of funding. In November 2024, García proposed the 2025 budget, initially requesting MX$17.5 billion in debt before lowering it to MX$5 billion following pushback, but it was ultimately rejected by the PAN- PRI- PRD opposition. Negotiations between the executive and legislative branches resumed in early 2025, leading to a deal and the budget's approval on 18 February 2025.

Environment

García attended COP26, where he announced plans to introduce environmental taxes to fund a green initiative focused on reforestation. The 2022 state budget included four categories of environmental taxes: one targeting pollution from stone material extraction, and others addressing emissions into the atmosphere, water, and soil. However, environmental groups criticized the use of these taxes, calling for greater transparency regarding how the collected funds were being used by the administration.

In March 2023, García's administration launched the "Bosques Ciudadanos" initiative, which aimed to plant one million trees by the end of his tenure. By September 2024, about 512,000 trees had been planted, with about 70,000 of them planted in urban areas.

In 2024, PM2.5 levels in the Monterrey metropolitan area reached their highest since 2020. García's administration attributed the pollution to the and temporarily shut it down in March after personnel refused to allow access for an inspection ordered by a federal judge. In 2025, the administration began issuing air quality forecasts, while García attributed pollution mainly to vehicle emissions and poor-quality gasoline. He also criticized weather apps for allegedly misreporting air quality, claiming they confused cloud cover and dust with pollution. Critics faulted his administration for not taking action against some heavily polluting manufacturers.

García faced criticism for the deforestation of parts of the Santa Catarina River, which he defended as a preventive measure against potential hurricane-induced flooding; the project was halted due to opposition.

Infrastructure

Metrorrey

García unveiled an expansion of the Metrorrey network –Lines 4, 5, and 6– each designed as a monorail system on an elevated viaduct. Amidst pushback from many in south Monterrey who preferred an underground system, Line 5 was initially redesigned as an Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit system but ultimately cancelled in November 2024. Construction for Lines 4 and 6 started in early 2023.

García's administration also invested in the system's older lines: the elevated portions of Line 2 underwent reconstruction due to design flaws in the construction of the capitals and beams, the Talleres metro station was announced to be extended and renovated to increase capacity and to accommodate longer trains, and twenty-two new rail cars for Line 1 were ordered to replace the oldest vehicles.

During García's tenure, Metrorrey phased out magnetic paper tickets, transitioning to NFC cards and QR codes for access. In 2022, fares increased from MX$4.50 to MX$5.50, followed by a gradual MX$0.10 monthly increase aimed at reaching a single journey fare of MX$9.

Roads and highways

García proposed his Master Road Plan, which aimed to enhance state connectivity and facilitate direct access to the Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge. Key projects included the phased reconstruction of Uno Norte highway, the completion of the Gloria-Columbia highway, and a 45-kilometer extension of the Periférico highway. In 2024, the Interserrana Highway, designed to link Mexican Federal Highways 85 and 57, was presented to President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who agreed to elevate the project to the federal level.

Water

García continued the construction of Liberty dam started by his predecessor in early 2020, which was 25% complete by García's inauguration in October 2021. In July 2023, García closed the dam's gates, and by April 2024, began extracting water for use in the Monterrey metropolitan area.

In 2023, García proposed the El Cuchillo II aqueduct, funded publicly and privately at MX$12.24 billion, in order to transport more water from the El Cuchillo reservoir to the Monterrey metropolitan area. In late 2023, García and Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated the aqueduct in two phases, with a capacity to transport up to 5,000 liters per second.

Social issues

In June 2023, García published a bill that codified same-sex marriage, making Nuevo León the final state in Mexico to codify it.

While drafting the new state constitution, García recommended that state deputies include a provision recognizing life from conception. However, this suggestion was ultimately not incorporated into the final version of the constitution.

U.S. Border

In early April 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced heightened inspections of commercial trucks entering from Mexico, causing significant traffic delays at the border. García met with Abbott and signed an agreement, committing to increasing security and establishing checkpoints on the Nuevo León side, which halted inspections at the Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge.

In September 2023, with guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, García inaugurated a new checkpoint at the border, fulfilling his commitments from the agreement with Abbott. Recognizing the increased demand due to nearshoring, García initiated plans to expand the Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge by adding more lanes to accommodate the growing number of trucks.

Crisis management

Nuevo León water crisis

In March 2022, in response to the low water levels in Nuevo León's three main reservoirs, García's administration implemented the () water rationing program, which divided the Monterrey metropolitan area into seven zones, each with distinct water supply schedules. However, protests and blockades erupted in various parts of the metropolitan area, as demonstrators claimed that there was an unequal distribution of water, with some areas experiencing water shortages lasting several weeks.

García started cloud seeding with silver iodide in order to increase the chances of rainfall over the state's main reservoirs. Between June 2022 and December 2023, 161 flights were conducted at a cost of MX$135 million. Some commentators labeled the effort ineffective and a waste of taxpayer money, pointing out that on some days, there was little to no rainfall after the cloud seeding.

García often expressed dissatisfaction with social media criticism regarding the alleged mismanagement of water distribution, dismissing the situation and emphasizing that water supply issues were beyond the scope of his gubernatorial responsibilities.

Tropical Storm Alberto

On 17 June 2024, García warned residents of an approaching tropical cyclone, urging caution for those near rivers and reservoirs and noting potential dam floodgate openings. He canceled classes from June 19 to 21 and moved the school year's end date up to 28 June. During the storm, García urged residents to stay home and issued an executive order on the night of 19 June suspending public transport and movement until the next day.

On 25 June, García declared a state of emergency for Nuevo León, estimating the damages at around MX$1.5 billion, primarily in Santiago and Cadereyta Jiménez. On 27 June, he met with President López Obrador and Rogelio Ramírez de la O to request reconstruction funds. Portions of Morones Prieto and Constitución, two avenues parallel to the Santa Catarina River, were closed due to erosion damage and were scheduled to reopen by the start of the next school year.

Tensions with the Congress of Nuevo León

During his tenure as governor, García frequently clashed with the Congress of Nuevo León. During the LXXVI Legislature (2021–2024), the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the National Action Party (PAN) held a majority while the LXXVII Legislature (2024–2027) saw a divided legislature, as no party or bloc held a majority.

Appointment of attorney general

On 5 October 2022, State Attorney General Gustavo Adolfo Guerrero resigned, triggering the process to appoint his successor. The state congress proposed a list of four finalists, including former Monterrey mayor and gubernatorial candidate Adrián de la Garza. García disagreed with all the proposed candidates and vetoed de la Garza, later appealing the list to the Supreme Court, citing irregularities in the selection process. On 14 February 2024, the Supreme Court invalidated the list of finalists and ordered a new selection process, ruling that the state congress had unconstitutionally removed the requirement for criminal background checks and mandated their inclusion in the new process.

During the new selection process, the executive branch withheld the necessary background checks for certain candidates. Once the congress sent the list of four finalists to García, he vetoed all four; the congress ignored the veto, as the constitution permitted the rejection of only one candidate. On 26 August 2024, Pedro Arce, who had been serving as acting attorney general, was appointed attorney general. This decision was appealed by García and quickly overturned by the Supreme Court, ruling that Arce had not met the criminal background check requirement. The Court invalidated most of the finalist list, leaving eleven remaining candidates, who, according to some commentators, were reportedly favorable to García.

Following negotiations between the executive and legislative branches, the state congress resumed the selection process on 17 February 2025. The process was expedited, and on the same day, four finalists were unanimously selected. Shortly after receiving the list, García issued a veto, after which the state congress unanimously appointed Javier Flores Saldívar as attorney general in the early hours of 18 February.

Efforts to impeach

Due to the withholding of the budget and the failure to publish several decrees passed by the legislature, on 31 January 2023, the state congress initiated impeachment proceedings against García, with the governor ordered to testify on 10 February.

García temporarily blocked the proceedings on 11 February 2023 by obtaining a constitutional relief injunction ('' amparo''). On 21 May 2024, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the impeachment process could resume but clarified that García could not be removed from office while the trial was ongoing. The congress called on García to appear for testimony on 27 June; however, García stated that he would not attend. Hours before he was scheduled to testify, the Supreme Court paused the proceedings once again.

2023 Nuevo León political crisis

In October 2023, García requested a six-month leave, effective 2 December, to run in the 2024 presidential election, proposing as his replacement. While the Congress of Nuevo León approved his leave, they appointed Arturo Salinas Garza, the President of the Superior Court of Justice of Nuevo León, as interim governor, leading to a dispute. García contended the appointment was "illegal" and insisted that Navarro was meant to be the interim governor.

On 13 November, Supreme Court Justice Javier Laynez Potisek annulled the appointment of Arturo Salinas Garza, citing a violation of the separation of powers since Salinas belonged to the judicial branch. The state congress was directed to designate a new interim governor. On 29 November, the state congress convened to appoint , the Deputy Attorney General, as interim governor. While the vote was underway, a group of citizens supporting García stormed the legislature, setting off a smoke bomb in the chamber. With the support of 25 out of the 42 state deputies, Orozco was named interim governor from 2 December 2023 to 2 June 2024. On 1 December, the Supreme Court validated Orozco's appointment.

On 2 December, the day García's leave took effect, Orozco officially assumed the interim governorship. Shortly thereafter, García declared his withdrawal from the presidential election, contending that he retained the governorship as he did not use his leave. The state congress asserted that the leave was valid, and a vote was required to revoke it. Both García and Orozco claimed the governorship, leading to a constitutional crisis pending resolution through a legislative session or a Supreme Court ruling. However, on 4 December, Orozco resigned, and the state congress confirmed García's reinstatement.

Political positions

García claims that Mexico's federal funding favors southern states despite northern states, like Nuevo León, contributing more to the treasury, controversially stating that "in Mexico, in the north, we work, in the center, they administer, and in the south, they rest". According to García, Mexico allocates money based on population, deprivation, and poverty, whereas in the rest of the world, it is typically done based on efficiency, GDP, productivity, and foreign trade.

García has expressed that he is not opposed to the legalization of marijuana, and has also expressed support for same-sex marriage, stating that "legal precedent recognizes and affirms their right."

García has expressed his opposition to abortion, breaking with his party's stance. He explained that as a senator, he had to abstain from voting on matters related to the issue, acknowledging the Supreme Court's ruling but disagreeing with it personally. After the Court effectively legalized abortion in 2021, he reaffirmed his belief that life begins at conception.

He has criticized the political right, saying: "I believe that the political right or center-right seeks to achieve merit but at the expense of the most disadvantaged."

Controversies

Doctoral Degree at ITAC University

In June 2020, he was accused of falsifying the documentation accrediting the Doctorate in Tax Law he obtained at ITAC University, a private educational center in the city of Monterrey. Samuel García had shared photographs of his postgraduate degree and a certificate of honorable mention on the social network Instagram, but several users later pointed out the inconsistency of the ITAC University rector's signatures on both documents and the similarity of one of these with the signature of the vice-rector of the same institution. In his defense, Samuel García published a video in which he argued that the discrepancy was presented by an unofficial document, that he had completed his doctorate in due time and form, and that the person who had signed this document was, in fact, the vice-rector, since the rector was on sick leave. Subsequently, local media ''Info7'' reported that ITAC University had ceased to function and that its facilities were abandoned.

Male chauvinism

On August 9, 2020, Samuel García, during an Instagram Live told his wife Mariana Rodríguez: "Turn up the camera, you're showing too much leg. I married you for me, not for you to go around showing". Many women in protest uploaded photos showing their legs on Twitter using the hashtag #YoEnseñoLoQueQuiera. García later apologized and affirmed that it was only a macho joke.

Personal life

Samuel García started dating social media influencer Mariana Rodríguez Cantú in 2015, and were married on 27 March 2020 in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Monterrey. In May 2020, the couple announced that Rodríguez had experienced a miscarriage. They have one daughter, Mariel, born on 10 March 2023.

Electoral history

Publications

* — (2016). ''Federalismo fiscal en México: políticas para mejorar las finanzas públicas'' (''Fiscal federalism in Mexico: policies to improve public finance''). Editorial Porrúa.
* — (2018). ''La gran reforma hacendaría de los mexicanos (The great tax reform of the Mexicans)''. Procesos Editoriales Don José.
* — (2020). ''Nuevo León Frente a la pandemia (Nuevo León faced with the Pandemic)''.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia, Samuel
1987 births
Living people
Citizens' Movement (Mexico) politicians
Governors of Nuevo León
Politicians from Monterrey
Senators of the LXIV and LXV Legislatures of Mexico