Alejandro Gertz: Mexico's attorney general becomes an ambassador at 86

"Alejandro Gertz Manero, one of the veteran figures of Mexican politics, has stepped down as attorney general but, at 86, he is not retiring from public life. In his resignation letter, he said that he will become an ambassador to a friendly country. His departure had been widely rumored before, as had his health issues, but it was only on November 27 that he finally stepped aside."

"Gertz became Mexico's first attorney general in January 2019, nominated by then-president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Previously, the institution had been called the Procuraduria. Although it may seem like a cosmetic change, it was actually a deep constitutional reform designed to give the office autonomy from the executive branch. From then on, the attorney general would serve a nine-year term, independent of presidential terms, meaning they could no longer be removed at the whim of a new president."

Alejandro Gertz Manero resigned as Mexico's attorney general on November 27 at age 86 and said he will become an ambassador to a friendly country. His departure followed long-standing rumors and health concerns and occurred after hours of chaos in the Senate when he submitted his resignation at 5:15 p.m. The resignation allows President Claudia Sheinbaum to complete her security cabinet; Gertz had been the only cabinet member not appointed by the president. Gertz became the first attorney general under a 2019 constitutional reform granting the office nine-year, independent terms, a change critics say he sometimes used for personal ends.

Read at english.elpais.com