De vacaciones el Senado sin hacer tarea del Inai
The National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Personal Data Protection (INAI) has become inoperative in Mexico due to the inability of the ruling Morena party and other political factions to agree on new commissioners. This legislative deadlock means the institution currently lacks the minimum quorum to function, leaving only four of its seven members on the Plenary Council. Consequently, essential functions regarding transparency and data protection are suspended until after the Easter holiday, highlighting the fragility of institutional checks when political consensus fails. Despite this paralysis, INAI managed to issue a significant ruling prior to losing its quorum. The institution ordered the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) to publish the thesis and academic degree of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Although the university had previously withheld the title as confidential personal information, INAI determined that it must be made public, affirming that transparency obligations apply even to the highest executive authorities. This development is crucial for open data because it demonstrates the agency's commitment to enforcing the right to information despite severe operational limitations. By compelling a major public institution to release restricted academic records, INAI reinforces the principle that no citizen, including the president, is exempt from transparency laws. It serves as a vital reminder that open data frameworks depend not just on laws, but on active, functioning enforcement bodies capable of upholding them against political obstruction.
Source: elpuntocritico.comPublished on 2023-04-01