Verónica Hernández Giadáns: The prosecutor of Veracruz resigns a few days after a reform that gives more power to the governor over prosecutors

The Veracruz Congress approved this Monday the resignation of Verónica Hernández Giadáns from the post of Public Prosecutor. Hernández had held this position for six years and arrived in 2019 after the dismissal of Jorge Winckler Ortiz as director of the institution – now in preventive detention for accusations of torture – for not having the necessary certifications and revalidations to remain in office. Hernández’s arrival at the head of the Prosecutor’s Office took place in 2019, first as head of office during the governorate of Cuitláhuac García Jiménez, then in May 2020 as public prosecutor for a period of nine years. According to various media, judge Lisbeth Aurelia Jiménez Aguirre is on the verge of replacing her.

Hernández’s departure comes just days after the Veracruz Congress approved reforms in the appointment and dismissal of the prosecutor, which grant greater powers to current Governor Rocío Nahle. In his resignation letter, Hernández refers to these changes. With these changes, Parliament will have five working days to elect the person who will be in charge of the Prosecutor’s Office from a shortlist that will be proposed by the Executive. If this first proposal is rejected, the Executive must then send a second proposal which must be approved by two-thirds of the plenary session. In the event that this proposal is also not approved, the Executive will have the power to elect the prosecutor from the two shortlists that it will have previously sent.

The amendments also reduced the prosecutor’s term to four years, instead of nine, and allows his re-election for a second term. In addition, it authorizes his dismissal at the request of the Executive for serious reasons, while granting Congress the power to oppose such a decision by qualified majority. The changes also extended to requirements. Previously, the person had to be born in Veracruz, but now it is enough that the prosecutor be Mexican.

During the same session in which Congress approved the resignation of the current former prosecutor, the deputies accepted the dismissal for one year of Lisbeth Aurelia Jiménez Aguirre, state criminal magistrate of the Superior Court of Justice, and who should replace Hernández. In her application, the judge, elected in controversial judicial elections a few months ago, said she had received an offer for another public position. According to a profile of the Veracruz state judiciary, Jiménez has a law degree from the University of Veracruzana and has extensive experience in criminal law.