TIJUANA (Border Report) — As of this Friday, Tijuana Mayor Arturo González Cruz will resign from his job to pursue the office of Baja California’s governor. Due to electoral regulations, he can’t speak about it publicly until he officially steps down from his current position.
“If you know about it, then why do you ask me?” said González when a reporter inquired about his resignation.
“The electoral rules are very clear, one has to respect them, and I’m respecting the moments and conditions,” said the mayor.
González had been in office for less than a year. His three-year term would have expired in 2022.
He belongs to the Morena party, same as Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
González’s resignation was accepted by the full city council, which has cleared the way for Karla Patricia Ruiz McFarland to take over as Tijuana’s first-ever female mayor.
González has been at odds with current Baja California Gov. Jaime Bonilla, with both men airing their disputes through the press in recent months.
Gov. Bonilla has gone as far as to accuse González of being an accessory to the murder of Mariano Soto, a well-known blogger and harsh government critic in Tijuana who was executed while driving in his car 10 days ago. Police have not said whether González is involved in the death. He has vehemently denied the implication and has threatened to sue Bonilla for libel and defamation of character.
