**Call for Financial Review of Issstecali Before Implementing Reforms**
There is a growing demand for a thorough financial review of the Institute of Security and Social Services of State Government and Municipal Workers (Issstecali) before any reforms are initiated. Adalberto Gutiérrez Ruiz, the state coordinator of Unidos por la Defensa de Issstecali, emphasized the need for a concrete strategy to recover over six billion pesos owed to the Institute.
Gutiérrez Ruiz insists that a comprehensive financial and technical audit is crucial to understanding the inflow and allocation of funds. He stresses that reforms should be financially driven, and cautions that the debt, if settled, could sustain the Institute’s operations for 10 months. An external institution should conduct this audit to ensure impartiality and provide a realistic assessment of Issstecali’s financial status.
Furthermore, there are concerns about pensions exceeding 200,000 pesos, purportedly mentioned by the Secretary of Finance. Gutiérrez Ruiz argues for transparency in these pension payouts, highlighting the unfairness of using taxpayers’ money to cover such payments. While acknowledging that some educators received substantial pensions due to their careers, he notes these cases are rare and should not be funded with public money.
Since October 24, a citizen reform proposal for Issstecali has been submitted to the state’s Congressional Commission of Constitutional Points, marking the beginning of a potential restructuring process.
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**Increasing Pressure from Issstecali Workers Against Pension Reform**
Recently, workers at Issstecali have joined in protests opposing proposed pension reforms. The government of Baja California is staying resolute in pushing the reform, despite reports of retired workers earning as much as 260,000 pesos per month.
These reforms are part of a broader financial strategy by the state to stabilize the Institute’s economic standing. However, the lack of a transparent plan for recovering debts has ignited unrest among both employees and pensioners.
Elsewhere, the government faces other challenges, such as impounded “chocolate” vehicles—imported through federal decrees—by customs authorities, issues with insufficient loading zones for cargo trucks in Tijuana, and a rise in whooping cough cases in Baja California, underscoring the multifaceted nature of governmental responsibilities in the region.