From the moment in which the State of Mexico’s governor, Eruviel Avila Villegas at the end of 2016 announced among “self-fanfares”, that he and his team would make public their “3 out of 3” (3D3 in Spanish), nothing has happened, however a more objective revision of his public declaration as well as and his team’s (from where next Federal Government could arise), exhibits large fortunes of “public servants” in a state where 60% of its population is poor.
According to his public declaration, the State of Mexico’s General Secretary of Government, Sergio Manzur could be the wealthiest functionary of the state or even of the whole country since he possesses at least 23 properties, among houses, lands, places for rent, and an apartment, all with a value that exceeds 55 million pesos; in addition to 136 cars valued at 16 million pesos and 4 enterprises, apart from a big fortune in jewelry, artworks and chattles.
In fact, the 3D3 declarations presented “voluntarily” by the 19 members of the Governor’s work team, including the Attorney general, could give clear clues over the astonishing fortune of their relatives.
For example, besides Manzur, the Head of Health department, Cesar Nomar Gomez has extraordinary net incomes that exceed 8 million pesos per year –higher than Manzur’s-, which origin is not clear enough if the data between his declaration of interests and patrimonial. The same occurs with the Secretary of Tourism, Rosalinda Benitez (daughter of Humberto Benitez), or with some other high functionaries of the state government, which use their spouses or partners as a “facade” to hide authentic fortunes.
On the Government’s General Secretary, his “visible” fortune could overtake the 85 million pesos. Additionally, he adjudged his wife another 15 properties located in Valle de Bravo, Jilotzingo, Naucalpan, Coacalco, Metepec and Toluca without any specification about their commercial value; reporting incomes for her around 323,951 pesos per year, and incomes for him around 2,953,609 pesos, of which 1,638,000 pesos correspond to his net salary –per year-, 1,139,824 pesos correspond to “financial activities” and only 175,758 pesos to “professional activities”, reporting “no incomes” for business activities.
However, in his declaration of interest, he declares himself as “unique administrator” of the companies Inmobiliaria Midas de Toluca, Grúas y transporte Sofrán SA de CV, and Almacenes del Aire SA de CV, while he says he owns only 25% of Gruas Manzur de Toluca SA de CV. In the whole cases he doesn’t specify utilities or gains. Manzur owns 23 properties (apart of his wife’s), with an estimated value of 55,367,544 pesos and 136 vehicles and dozens of them are collector cars, whose total value, according to his declaration, is 16,306,893 pesos, plus 3 million pesos in artworks, 3 more million pesos in chattles; 5 more million in “another kind of personal property”; another 3 million pesos in jewelry and 3 more in his residence’s household goods.
On his tax return, Manzur declared income tax on April 27th 2016 of 135,907 pesos only. It is not specified if he paid any taxes linked to his businesses. On his declaration of interests, Manzur doesn’t report the positions his brothers occupy, one as Principal at the High School #3 of UAEM (Autonomous University of the State of Mexico) and another as the Director of Comecyt (State’s Council of Science and Technology), he does report about two of his kids but one nephew who holds a Direction at the Town Hall of Metepec.

YOUNG AND RICH Surprisingly, through a revision of the declarations, the Health Secretary, Cesar Nomar Gomez turned out to be one with the highest incomes but without having full knowledge of their origin since he declared net incomes per year of 8,218,652 pesos, out of it, 2,248,652 pesos correspond to his salary; 1,700,000 to business activities, 3 million and a half to “financial” activities and 770 thousand pesos to “other activities”.
Besides, the functionary adjudged himself as owner of two flats, a house and a piece of land, whose total commercial value is 9,029,000 pesos; the piece of land is located at Valle del Yaqui (Sonora), and the two flats in Huixquilucan. Even he declared he owns a VW Passat, valued at 339,214 pesos; as well as two investment funds in Inbursa bank and Bancomer bank for around half million pesos each, in addition of two bank accounts for similar quantities.
It should be noted that the Health Secretary, who said being a single person, doesn’t point in his declaration of interest to be part of any company or administration council, or if he’s owner of any commercial firm, however, in his statement of assets, he alludes to incomes from that origin.

THE PROFITABLE TOURISM
The third civil servant with high incomes could be the Secretary of Tourism, Rosalinda Benitez (daughter of Humberto Benitez, former director of Profeco), who declared net incomes per year of 5,308,843 pesos, out of these, 4,060,000 pesos correspond to “professional services”.
Additionally, she declared for his partner incomes of 2,822,566 pesos; as well as declaring to be owner of a house and a flat, both with an estimated value of 3,300,000 pesos. Rosalinda Benitez did not declare any vehicles but a life insurance and three bank accounts for more than half million pesos. It is worth to point out that in her declaration of interests, she doesn’t inform to be part of any company of commercial firm (or being the owner of one), wherewith it can’t be deducted the origin of her earnings superior to the three million pesos for “professional services” that she declares in her statement of assets.

THE MODESTY OF ERASTO
For his part, Erasto Martinez, financial operator of the PRI (the party which holds the power in the state and country), he declared annual incomes of 1,988,775 pesos, of which 752,135 correspond to his remuneration and the rest, 1,236,640 pesos, to “other activities”.
Likewise Erasto Martinez declared to be owner of an apartment, a place for rent and a piece of land, which total value ascends to 11,550,075 pesos; he declared as well to have a vehicle 2014 Touareg, which is worth 450,000 pesos; as well as the possession of jewelry that costs 400,000 pesos and household goods that worth 300,000, plus three bank accounts with more than a million pesos approximately.
The secretary of Infrastructure doesn’t say to be owner or partner of any business, whence it is not possible to determine where the gains he claims he got were from while he has a different salary.

ABSOLUTE MODESTY AT SEDAGRO
Heriberto Ortega, Secretary of Agricultural Development, reported annual incomes for 1,283,315 pesos. He owns three apartments, two pieces of land and two houses, with a total value of 17,203,015 pesos. His wife owns one more apartment which value is not specified.
The head of Sedagro reported as well three luxury vehicles: one Toyota Siena, one Mercedes Benz and one Mazda CW20, all of them make a sum of 722,000 pesos. Additionally, he declared “another goods” valued at 155,000 pesos; the cost of his household goods was valued at 686,303 pesos; cattles for 100,000 pesos and jewelry that costs 240,000 pesos.
He also declared having a investment fund of half million pesos and another four bank accounts with around a million and a half pesos.

HAVING A RICH WIFE…
At the same time, Eduardo Gasca, Head of the Department of Culture and former rector of UAEM to whom were made important observations by the ASF (Senior Audit of the Federation), in that position, reported an annual income of 1,396,438 pesos, while he declared incomes of his partner for around 627,583 pesos.
He declared having two houses, the first one worth 35,000 pesos nevertheless having an area of one hundred squared meters (which can be a capture mistake), and one more worth 1,700,000 pesos. He declared another five properties (one located in Valle de Bravo) on his partner’s behalf (who pointed out that earns less than a half of his incomes), without specifying their value; plus reporting a 334,000 pesos 2009 Jeep.
For his part, the Commissioner of Citizen Security, Valiente Hernandez, reports annual incomes of 3,591,620 pesos, from which he says that 550,000 correspond to professional services and more than 1,538,118 to “financial activities”.
The functionary declared that he owns only one piece of land with a value up to 7.6 million pesos; but he adjudges three more possessions to his wife, which value is unspecified, and reporting net annual incomes to her of another 3,699,892 pesos.
He points out that his wife is the owner of a “semitrailers” company, hoists probably, not specified though.

JUSTICE IS FAIR
The recently named Attorney General, Alejandro Gomez, reported net annual incomes of 1,245,497 pesos and just one property worth 5,200,000 pesos, and he did not report to be owner of any unit, however, in his declaration of interests he affirmed to be partner, in a 50% of the company “360 Globat SA de CV”, of which did not report any incomes in his statement of assets; although he did for a mortgage credit with a currently value of 2,425,000 pesos and five credit cards that report a balance of more than 100,000 pesos.

IN THE COUNTRYSIDE THERE IS PROGRESS
Arturo Osornio, Head of the Department of Social Development, declared annual gains for 1,459,804 pesos, of which 211,152 correspond to “professional services”. The Director of SEDESEM (Arturo Osornio), reported to be owner of three pieces of land and a building, all with a value of 7,707,720 pesos, while his wife owns two houses and their value is not specified.
Osornio also declared to own four cars, not recent models but with a commercial value of 950,000 pesos, as well as three bank accounts for over a million pesos approximately.

POLITICS IS PROFITABLE
The Senator with license, Ana Lilia Herrera, declared an income per year of 2,609,328 pesos and 1,167,756 pesos as annual gain of her couple. The functionary reported two houses and a piece of land as personal properties which worth 12,125,120 pesos; as well as three luxury vehicles for an amount of 1,009,900, being that each of them costs more than 300,000 pesos, including a VW Touareg, a Ford Explorer XTL and a Ford Suburban.
Herrera also reported half a million pesos in jewelry and 700,000 as the value of the household of her residence; plus two life insurances for half a million each and a bank account with another half a million pesos approximately. In her declaration of interests, the functionary reports a mortgage credit of 6,949,000 pesos and a credit card with a debt of 40,000 pesos.

THE SILENCE… ALSO
Apolinar Mena, Technical Secretary of the cabinet, implied in a scandal of corruption last year, reported an annual income of 1,120,326 pesos, as well as additional gains for financial activities of 394,537 pesos. The functionary declared to own two houses in Mexico City and a piece of land in Ixtapan de la Sal, all together worth 8,227,000 pesos as a commercial value. He doesn’t report any economic dependant but the possession of three luxury vehicles, including a Mercedes Benz 2016 model which value is 1,250,000 pesos.
The public servant declares as well an amount of 1,420,000 pesos which corresponds to the household of his residence and artworks valued in 750,000 pesos; while his wife reports jewelry without specifying its value.
Mena declared in his 3D3 declaration, a total of four bank accounts, one of them in USA, two with higher or equal balances to half a million pesos; another with less than 500,000 and one more with less than 100,000 pesos. There are not specific amounts.

SOMEHOW MUST START
On the other hand, the Head of the Department for Environment, Raul Vargas, declared getting more than 700,000 as annual incomes and only two properties: a piece of land and a house, with a value for both of 4,800,000 pesos; in addition to declare two vehicles that worth 334,000 pesos.
For his part, Jose Alfredo Torres, Secretary of Urban Development, has annual gains of 1,724,991 pesos, of which 394,991 are received as his salary and 330,000 correspond to “other activities”, apparently, the sale of a vehicle. Torres reports as well two possessions worth 520,000 pesos and a Suburban truck, which is valued for 735,000 pesos, besides 200,000 pesos in jewelry and 125,000 for household goods; also he reports three bank accounts with a balance of more than one million pesos.
Joaquin Castillo, facade Secretary of Finance, declared an annual income of 1,143,674 pesos; two houses on his couple’s behalf without stipulating their value and three bank accounts for almost one million pesos. If there was any doubts, in his declaration of interest, Castillo informs that he was Secretary of Finance of the PRI’s State Directive Commitee in 2011, which means that he managed the finances of Eruviel Avila during his campaign.

AND THE POPULATION?
The most recent numbers of Coneval about poverty indicate that more than 8,269,000 inhabitants in the State of Mexico (60%), face some kind of poverty and 1,260,000 more are in extreme poverty, wherewith more than 62% of the state’s population is poor in some level.
According to a recent inform of Coneval and broadcasted by CNN, “inside of the people in poverty, there are the extreme poor, who is the people with three or more social deficiencies and receive incomes lower than the minimum welfare line, which is a value lower than the cost of the basic food basket, which, to urban areas it’s pointed in 1,125 pesos and to rural areas in 800 pesos”, this, is supposed to be monthly.
The municipalities that concentrate the highest number of poor people in the State of Mexico that was governed by Enrique Peña between 2005 and September of 2011, are the rural municipalities and with high number of native people concentration, where also are focused the highest lags of unemployment, lack of opportunities, high migration waves (to USA) and low education.
Among the towns with classification of poverty and marginalization in a “high” level, are: Amatepec, Donato Guerra, Ixtapan del Oro, San Felipe del Progreso, Tlatlaya, Villa de Allende, Villa Victoria, Zumpahuacán, Luvianos and San José del Rincón.
According to what makes the towns having a level of “average” marginalization, the federal government classified the following ones: Acambay, Almoloya de Alquisiras, Atlautla, Ecatzingo, Ixtlahuaca, Jiquipilco, Morelos, Ocuilan, El Oro, Otzoloapan, San Simón de Guerrero, Tejupilco, Temascalcingo, Temascaltepec and Texcaltitlán. Data from Coneval and the Secretary of Social Development (Sedesol).