Former Pemex Director Víctor Rodríguez Padilla Detained in Mexico City

Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, the former director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), was arrested in Mexico City on Tuesday, July 7. The arrest took place at 5:32 PM on Monte Albán street in the Benito Juárez borough, according to the National Registry of Detentions. The specific crime for which he was detained was not detailed in the registry.

Rodríguez Padilla, a physicist and economist specializing in energy, had a distinguished academic and advisory career before leading Pemex. He holds advanced degrees from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the University of Grenoble in France, with postdoctoral work in Canada. He is a member of the National System of Researchers and has advised various government bodies, including the Senate and the Supreme Court, as well as international organizations like ECLAC and Oxfam.

His tenure at Pemex, which began on October 1, 2024, lasted for approximately one year, seven months, and 13 days. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced his departure on May 14, stating it was part of a prior agreement. She explained that she had asked Rodríguez Padilla to help lead Pemex for about 18 months, after which he intended to return to academia. Juan Carlos Carpio was named as his successor.

During his time at Pemex, Rodríguez Padilla expressed optimism about the company's progress toward energy self-sufficiency in hydrocarbons. However, data from the Ministry of Energy indicated that as of June 2024, 59% of gasoline consumption was still reliant on imports.

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When I won the presidency, I told Victor: 'I want to ask you a favor, come, help me at Pemex.' And he told me: 'Yes, yes I will help you at Pemex, but with one condition: only a year and a half, because I want to return to academia.'