Merida Mayor Addresses Lighting Scandal: Shocking Revelation!

After a 12-year legal battle with Santander Bank regarding the infamous Lighting case, the Merida City Council has already paid $180 million of the agreed $470 million settlement. "We are very satisfied. This arrangement is in the best interest of the City Council, and we are acting responsibly to ensure this issue is not left unresolved for future administrations," stated Mayor Alejandro Ruz Castro. He added that the negotiation of this debt was conducted through their internal and external legal teams.

The bank accepted the City Council's proposal to pay $475 million over five years, a significant reduction from the $588 million plus $302 million in interest initially claimed by the bank. This case began in 2011 when the then-mayor Angelica Araujo Lara authorized the replacement of 82,000 sodium vapor lamps with magnetic induction lamps, which were of poor quality and expensive.

Ruz Castro's comments came in response to a series of recent reports on the lighting scandal and the ongoing impunity in this case, despite allegations of corruption during Araujo's administration. The mayor stated that all members of the City Council were supportive of the agreement to end the protracted legal dispute.

On July 4th, the City Council unanimously approved the agreement with the bank, which was signed on the 10th. The following day, the mayor, along with his legal team and the Secretary of the Municipality, Julio Sauma Castillo, appeared before the third commercial judge in Mexico City to finalize the agreement.

"It was a significant moment because we were resolving the issue we were facing. The bank representatives were present, and from that moment, the initial payment obligations were set," he explained. On July 15th, the City Council made the first payment of $175 million to the bank, followed by the first monthly installment of $5 million in early August.

Ruz Castro emphasized that the third Mercantile Judge of Mexico City approved the agreement under the proposed terms and issued a final judgement. With the judge's ruling, they are now addressing all parallel proceedings to confirm that the trial has concluded.

According to the agreement, the city council will have to pay $475 million, divided into an initial payment of $175 million and 60 monthly payments of $5 million. These payments represent 0.7% of the City Council's monthly budget. "It doesn't impact in any significant way. It's something that we always proposed. We always proposed: 'no