Morenista senator Gerardo Fernández Noroña defended the acquisition of nine luxury SUVs for the ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), arguing they are an essential work tool. According to the Court, the renewal responds to institutional security criteria. However, fellow Morenista Ricardo Monreal criticized the purchase for contradicting austerity principles.
Gerardo Fernández Noroña, a Morena senator, justified the purchase of nine Jeep Cherokee SUVs for the SCJN ministers, with prices ranging from 1,069,000 to 1,777,000 pesos per unit. In a post on social media platform X, Noroña emphasized that these vehicles are necessary for public functions, comparing them to other positions like the Congress president or state secretaries. “There are positions, like the Congress president, the court ministers, the Republic Presidency, state secretaries, that must have official vehicles for their function; it is a work tool, not a luxury. They can't go on foot, by Metro, hitchhike, or use their own vehicle,” he stated.
The SCJN explained that the previous fleet no longer meets security standards to protect the ministers. Noroña added that none of the ministers earn more than President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and that they lack official vehicles, which they should have. He recalled his own experience as Senate steering committee president, where he used his personal truck for public tasks. Additionally, he noted that ministers use their personal cell phones for work, amid salary reductions.
However, Ricardo Monreal, Morena's coordinator in the Chamber of Deputies, voiced disagreement. “Our philosophy as a movement contradicts that type of acts,” he affirmed, acknowledging that such excesses violate the Fourth Transformation doctrine and austerity. Monreal stressed that Mexicans are right to question these purchases and that public servants must exemplify consistency.
