Laura Fernández Piña Still Sanctioned Despite Suspension

PUERTO MORELOS, Quintana Roo — Although a federal tribunal granted a temporary suspension, Laura Fernández Piña continues to be officially listed as disqualified from holding public office until 2045, according to a review conducted by Sol Quintana Roo.

The former mayor of Puerto Morelos faces sanctions for failing to ensure the proper handling of more than 78 million pesos in social security contributions during her administration.

Last week, federal magistrates based in Cancún determined to temporarily suspend the disqualification imposed on Fernández Piña by the Fourth Chamber of the Administrative and Anti-Corruption Tribunal of Quintana Roo. However, her name remains inscribed in the System of Sanctioned Public Servants, where it is noted that she is disqualified from holding public office until 2045, a recent review by this media outlet confirms.

She is accused of failing, while serving as mayor, to oversee the correct withholding of more than 78 million pesos that municipal workers contributed as social security quotas for their retirement, corresponding to the years 2020 and 2021.

In February 2024, the Puerto Morelos city council initiated an administrative responsibility proceeding. As a result, the Fourth Chamber ruled in May of the same year and imposed a disqualification on Fernández Piña valid until April 2044.

It was not until the beginning of this month that the Eighth District Court in Cancún was forced to rule on a request for an injunction filed by the complainant, although it determined not to suspend the disqualification. Dissatisfied, the former candidate appealed with a writ of complaint.

Finally, last Thursday, magistrates of the Second Collegiate Circuit Court declared the challenge well-founded and ordered the removal of Laura Fernández Piña's name from the System of Sanctioned Public Servants.

In the consulted ruling, it states that the disqualification procedure is not yet definitive; however, it is already affecting the image of the former mayor of Puerto Morelos. The magistrates clarified that the suspension is only temporary for the moment and must be ratified on September 29 in an incidental hearing within the promoted amparo trial.