Jalisco is advancing in a positive direction but there is “still much work to do,” concluded Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro at the end his first informe (state-of-the-state address) held November 6 in the Jalisco Congress building.
It was the first time in 11 years that a governor stood up in front of state legislators to deliver an annual report. Prior to his address, representatives from seven parties delivered their analysis of the past 11 months under the first governor from the fledgling Citizens Movement (MC) party.
Alfaro lauded his administration’s achievements in restructuring and streamlining various government departments, while highlighting his bold initiative to reform Jalisco’s constitution. He boasted about his fiscal responsibility in reducing the state debt and increasing its credit rating, underscoring Jalisco’s economic stability: the state’s economy has grown 2.3 percent during his administration, eight times faster than the national average of 0.3 percent, he said, while Jalisco is in second place nationally in job creation.
The dengue epidemic that surged in Jalisco over the summer and fall was a key theme, with several opposition speakers slamming the sluggish response of state health authorities. (Jalisco leads the nation in the number of officially confirmed cases: 8,856 as of November 14.) Alfaro defended his administration’s actions, emphasizing the additional resources and manpower that have been employed to try to counteract outbreaks, while criticizing the “shameful” response of the federal government to the situation.
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