The interests of the IFT

Three weeks ago, 25 middle and senior managers from the Federal Institute of Telecommunications attended the hearing that the three commissioners of the regulatory body granted to the representatives of AT&T. The only issue to be discussed was, according to the public agenda released the day before, the return of the radio spectrum.

A videoconference, which lasted just 25 minutes. Commissioners Ramiro Camacho Castillo, Javier Juárez Mojica —who is acting president due to vacancy— and Sóstenes Díaz González listened to a brief presentation by the representatives of the economic agent: Héctor Vázquez Lezama, in charge of network planning; Daniel Ríos, from external affairs and sustainability; Antonio Díaz Hernández, of regulation and Gabriel Oswaldo Contreras Saldívar, AT&T lawyer and who until February 12, 2020 presided over the IFT.

The plenary can meet because there are four commissioners of the seven members of the governing body, to which Arturo Robles Rovalo is also attached. According to the provisions of Article 28 of the Constitution, the Senate of the Republic must appoint the commissioners of the Institute, including the president of the plenary session, who will hold that position for four years, renewable for a single occasion.

Until February 12, 2020, Gabriel Oswaldo Contreras Saldívar held that position, after being re-elected by the senators on October 3, 2017. Three weeks later, the Political Coordination Board proposed a quintet to select the new president and was elected. , in the second round, Adolfo Cuevas Teja, who could no longer repeat in office.

The hearing on December 20 had delayed effects. Since last Sunday, serious accusations have been made known against several commissioners, public servants and former public servants —among them Gabriel Contreras—, accusing corruption, conflicts of interest, dismantling officials from key areas to appoint new ones with the purpose of operating decisions as a , things that even the Comptroller’s Office of the autonomous body has observed. The specialized press has aired resolutions favorable to the interests of AT&T and América Móvil: the first was forgiven 428 million pesos and the second no more and no less than 22,000 million pesos, all of fines, that is, for not fulfill their obligations.

There is a business subtext and a political conjuncture: the official attack against the autonomous bodies, which extends to the INE and the Inai. A communication was also added against the IFT, taken up by the specialized telecommunications portal, Hoy en Telecom —which circulated profusely in the offices of the autonomous body— which refers to the alleged acts of corruption of the four acting commissioners in favor of AT&T and Telmex.

The IFT crosses a turning point. The legislative omission is combined with an unstoppable loss of human capital formed in the organization since its foundation.

Conflict of interests? It has powerfully attracted attention that in the face of this great cocktail of problems, deathly silence reigns. It is urgent that these acts, which until now have lacked transparency, be investigated seriously and at the highest level. You cannot benefit some to the detriment of the treasury that benefits everyone and putting competition in the sector at risk.

Or is it that when the river sounds…?