Why is Pemex CEO Victor Rodríguez’s position increasingly unstable despite being a close ally of President Sheinbaum?

Rodríguez’s position is unstable due to worsening internal divisions, a major oil spill, a deadly refinery accident, failure to meet production targets (1.6 million bpd vs. 1.8 million bpd goal), inability to capitalize on high oil prices, and being sidelined by Sheinbaum—who has intervened in key appointments and operations—leading to competing centers of loyalty and eroding his authority as CEO.

What evidence in the article shows that President Sheinbaum is directly overriding Pemex CEO Rodríguez’s managerial authority?

Sheinbaum—and ministers including Energy Secretary Luz Elena Gonzalez and Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch—has directly appointed or replaced senior executives without Rodríguez’s input, including the interim legal director Diana Martínez (linked to Gonzalez), logistics director Israel Benítez, and administration director Marcela Villegas; some executives now report to finance or energy ministries instead of Rodríguez, and he twice submitted his resignation last year, only staying after Sheinbaum persuaded him.

Mexico's Pemex CEO, Close Ally of Sheinbaum, Under Threat as Woos Mount

May 13, 2026

Pemex CEO Victor Rodriguez faces job insecurity amid production shortfalls, safety accidents, and $79 billion debt, while President Sheinbaum intensifies political control over the state oil giant. Investment efforts remain weak as Pemex struggles with operational crises and unpaid supplier obligations.

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