Mexico's new ambassador to the UK, Alejandro Gertz Manero, has disclosed a personal fortune that includes 10 houses, seven cars—including two Rolls-Royces—jewellery worth over $1 million, and an art collection valued at nearly half a million dollars, according to a public filing. The former attorney general, appointed by President Claudia Sheinbaum last year, also reported bank accounts in Mexico, the US, Spain, and Switzerland, a US property worth over $1 million, and a Madrid flat purchased for €1 million (£860,000). In the filing, Gertz Manero stated that many of these assets were inherited.
Opulence Clashes with Morena's Austerity Image
The ambassador's wealth stands in stark contrast to the governing Morena party's long-standing motto: "For the good of all, first the poor." Morena, founded by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has historically championed austerity. López Obrador famously drove an old sedan, slashed his own salary, and gave up the lavish presidential residence and private jet, often saying, "There can be no rich government if the people are poor."
Public policy expert Viri Ríos, director of Mexico Decoded, noted that Morena "have associated themselves with austerity historically as part of their political platform." She added, "What's been created is a contradiction between what Morena appeals to narratively versus what the party really is, which is a mix of officials, politicians, and personalities of all kinds and levels of wealth."
Scandals Plague Morena Over Luxury Displays
Gertz Manero is not the first Morena politician to face scrutiny for lavish tastes. The party has been plagued by incidents of members wearing expensive clothing, watches, and travelling to exotic destinations. Last year, López Obrador's son, Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, sparked outrage by staying at a $400-a-night Tokyo hotel and spending $2,600 at a hotel restaurant. In a public letter, he defended the trip, calling it "a political lynching campaign steeped in hatred, classism and slander."
Also in 2024, Senator Adán Augusto López Hernández faced criticism after reports revealed he received nearly $4.5 million in private income in 2023 and 2024. He admitted to the funds, stating, "Beyond my work as a public official, I also provide legal services; all my income is declared."
Party Guidelines vs. Reality
The scandals emerged months after Morena issued new guidelines advocating for austerity and stating that "displays of material ostentation such as jewellery, designer clothing, high-value properties or cars, luxury restaurants or tourism" ran counter to its principles. Despite this, in February 2024, López Obrador's other son, José Ramón López Beltrán, was photographed at a Cartier store in Cancún. His wife later posted that "differences of opinion should never become personal attacks."
Just weeks ago, a local Morena politician in Tulum faced online backlash for posting a TikTok video of himself on a private jet wearing luxury clothes, prompting a party investigation.
Political Cost of Wealth Disparity
According to Ríos, the outrage is less about politicians being personally rich and more about instances where their opulent tastes far exceed government salaries—something that could prove costly at elections. She argued that Morena "made a strategic error in associating all types of wealth with a lack of morality," adding, "If that's going to be your position, then from the beginning you must prevent anyone who is very wealthy from joining the movement."
