Tabasco Governor Javier May Rodríguez announced on Tuesday that he will leave politics after his current term ends, pledging not to seek any further elected or appointed position.
Retirement pledge follows first‑class flight controversy
The declaration came a day after video footage showed May seated in the Premier class of an Aeroméxico flight from Mexico City to Villahermosa. The recording, captured by former PRI‑PAN candidate Lorena Beaurregard de los Santos, sparked criticism that the governor was traveling in luxury while the state faces economic hardship, high unemployment, and shortages of medicines and security.
During a press conference at the state palace, May responded to the accusations, saying, “I earn what the law gives me and that’s all I have. My assets are listed on the transparency page, and that’s how I’ll finish. When my term ends, I retire; I won’t take another post.” He added that he intends to follow the austere lifestyle modeled by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, noting that his personal holdings “can be counted on one hand.”
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Health rumors and political sparring
In the same briefing, May addressed rumors about his health that had been circulating after former governor Manuel Andrade Díaz suggested the governor might be ill and possibly stepping down early. Andrade, who left the PRI in 2021 to run for mayor under the PRD banner, posted on social media that “the rumor is strong that the sick one won’t make it past the 31st of this month.”
May dismissed the speculation, asserting his condition is “very good” and that his administration will continue its work until the end of the six‑year term. “We are not going anywhere, contrary to what our opponents would like,” he said, adding that those spreading the rumors “have very bad sources of information.”
He also clarified that his recent trip to Mexico City was for a meeting with Bancomext director‑general Carlos Torres Rosas, not a leisure excursion.
One odd detail emerged when May joked about a water tank, saying, “Ya no le sube el agua al tinaco,” a phrase he used to mock the former governor’s alleged health problems.
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He reiterated the commitment to finish his term, noting, “We still have a long way to go, not even half the distance covered, but we’ll be there by 2030.”
May’s retirement promise aligns with his earlier statements that he entered office with modest means and intends to leave it that way. “The governor has no construction firms, no commercial enterprises; it’s not a business,” he emphasized, showing that his income comes solely from the legal salary.
He concluded the briefing by reaffirming his dedication to the state’s agenda, noting that his assets remain publicly disclosed and that he will not pursue any future political role once his term concludes.
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