Jalisco’s new governor Enrique Alfaro took the oath of office Thursday, promising no letup in the fight against crime in the state.
“There will be no agreements or truces with criminals,” the 45-year-old former mayor of Guadalajara declared in his inaugural address in the State Legislature. “Here, there will be no forgiveness and forgetting, because crime deeply hurts our society.”
To most observers, his words seemed directed at President Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has proposed an amnesty for low-level criminals forced into the drug trade because of their financial circumstances. Although sharing a thorny relationship in recent years, despite once being close allies, Alfaro and Lopez Obrador appeared to have reconciled during the recent transition period.
The new governor stressed his respect for the Mexican Constitution but said he would be unwilling to “bend the knee” to federal authorities, especially when it comes to maintaining autonomy over Jalisco’s law enforcement agencies.
In front of 600 invited guests, including new Interior Minister (Gobernacion) Olga Sánchez Cordero and several state governors, Alfaro pledged his commitment to strengthening the state’s political institutions and carrying out his campaign promise for “the refoundation” of Jalisco.
“It begins with the refoundation of our government,” he said. “That is the first task: to build a government not only with legitimacy of origin but with legitimacy with its results, a democratic 
government, but authentically representative, an honest government where righteousness is a general rule and where the one who fails pays the consequences, an austere government that uses money to serve people and not to offend it, a government that respects and coordinates with other orders of government, that respects the federation, but that does not kneel before it.”
Other goals Alfaro aspires to include improving infrastructure, public transportation and social services throughout Jalisco. On top of his agenda is to facilitate the completion of Guadalajara’s third subway line as soon as possible.
After finishing his address, Alfaro emerged into the bright sunshine of the Plaza Liberacion, where hundreds of his supporters had gathered. “I will not let go of my commitments,” he told them. “I am going to fulfill my promises and go to each and every municipality to vouch for them. I promise you all, I am going to visit every corner of Jalisco.”
Said Alan Ávalos, a lifelong resident of Guadalajara: “I really think the proposals are convincing and very relevant … there’s a lot of problems and conflicts in Jalisco, and Alfaro comes precisely at the right time to improve the state.”