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By Juan R. Hernandez
In the Mexico Citylocal politics seems to live in permanent emergency mode. Three recent initiatives in the capital’s Congress reflect the urgency of addressing, from different fronts, the same underlying problem: the institutional dismantling that suffocates, floods and sickens this metropolis.
The deputy Alberto Vanegas Arenas seeks to reform the Metropolitan Coordination Law to give teeth to the Secretariat of Comprehensive Water Management. Their bet: create intergovernmental coordination mechanisms that prevent each entity from facing floods alone. A sensible proposal, considering that water—whether in excess or in absence—is the Achilles heel of the metropolitan area. Bureaucratic fragmentation has turned stormwater systems into a puzzle without ownership or maintenance.
On the other hand, the PAN Diego Garrido proposes authorizing individuals to repair sidewalks and potholes. A clear symptom of urban deterioration and citizen despair. So far this year, more than 160 sinkholes have been recorded. But delegating public maintenance to private hands is not a solution: it opens up technical, legal and inequality risks. The State cannot renounce its basic responsibility to guarantee safe infrastructure.
And on another front, the Morenoist Pedro Haces Lago proposes the creation of Specialized Mental Health Care Centers in each mayor’s office. The initiative comes at a good time: cases of anxiety, depression and suicidal behavior have skyrocketed by more than a thousand percent since 2020. A “silent crisis”, as he himself defined it, that has become as urgent as the pothole or the flood.
Three initiatives, three symptoms, the same disease: the lack of planning and prevention. The capital calls for long-term policies, not legislative patches. Because as the water rises, sidewalks sink, and mental health plummets, what is inundated—truly—is the credibility of local government.