Overview
- Rubén Rocha Moya briefly returned to the governor’s office for about 34 hours before submitting a new indefinite temporary license that the Sinaloa Congress approved unanimously on Sunday.
- The state legislature called an extraordinary session for Monday to choose and swear in an interim governor because a leave longer than 30 days requires Congress to appoint a replacement under Sinaloa’s constitution.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized Rocha Moya’s short-lived return and later described his renewed separation as the best option for Sinaloa while saying she has not spoken with him since his first leave.
- The move comes against a legal backdrop of U.S. Department of Justice accusations filed on April 29 that name Rocha Moya among officials linked to the Cártel de Sinaloa and ongoing investigations by Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República.
- The episode has deepened political fallout: PAN is demanding juicio político and disappearance of powers, Morena and federal officials have distanced themselves, and Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde is a leading but unconfirmed candidate to serve as interim governor.