A snapshot breaks the continuity of Alejandro’s office Breath Moreno Cárdenas (Campeche, 50 years old), dominated by photographs of all sizes that portray him as leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, a position he has held for six years. In front of his desk lies the image of Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta, the historic presidential candidate of the PRI, assassinated during the campaign for the presidency of Mexico in 1994. The assassination was the first major blow before the debacle of the political group that continuously governed Mexico for 70 years. Today the PRI is reduced to its minimal expression. In its opposition role, the party occupies a testimonial place on Mexico’s political map. Alito suggests a portrait right there. “He is the real Luis Donaldo Colosio, the other one (his son with the same name) is fake,” he says.
The PRI receives EL PAÍS at its national headquarters. The timing of the elections was brought forward prematurely. The token movement placed the Institutional Revolutionary in the midst of a divorce with the PAN. The announcement doesn’t keep Alito Moreno, as he is better known, up at night. He is skeptical that the breakup can be consummated. «In politics the doors are never closed», he replies, speaking of the break with the blue and white party and with the electoral coalitions. The resistance of PANism in the States supports this. “How will they compete in Chihuahua, in Nuevo León?” he asks with that mocking tone that characterizes him.
He refuses to confirm whether the PRI will go alone in the mid-term elections, the centerpiece of the 2030 presidential elections. The leader insists on calling for a large opposition bloc between PAN, PRI and MC, even as he dedicates numerous disqualifications to the latter. “Those in the Citizens Movement are cynics and strikebreakers who only do Morena’s work,” he said. The times for the institutional revolutionary are not the best; However, Alito defines himself as an optimist, maintains the triumphalist discourse and maintains that the PRI is immortal. Contrary to doom predictions, the controversial leader predicts that the party will occupy the presidential seat again.
Ask. Has the break with the PAN accelerated the electoral times?
Answer. These are times when each party can adopt its own strategy. The PRI was a party with an allealist vocation. Coalitions are here to stay. We should ask National Action how they will be able to compete in Chihuahua or Nuevo León, in the capitals that we won as a coalition… It is an inconsistency. I can’t accept who want to blame the PRI. Morena soiled PAN’s face. Every day they are told that they are those of Genaro García Luna, of the real estate cartel, that they are thieves, corrupt… It is ungrateful and disloyal. We cannot let the national leaders of parties who call themselves opposition parties be scared to death. They get two, three cramps, they point them out and run away.
Q. Do you believe that the PAN’s decision to break with the PRI, at least on a verbal level, was due to government pressure from the real estate cartel?
R. What seems like it turns out. I said this to my PAN colleagues: if you have nothing to hide, have character, determination and will. We will also see them with the revocation of the mandate. All that remains is for the PAN and MC deputies to vote on the revocation of the mandate. The PRI will vote against.
Q. Did the PAN betray the PRI with that announcement?
R. You don’t break something that isn’t assembled. We are in the times, in the processes. You don’t just have to look at the context, the messages, the words. Why do we always promote the coalition vocation? Because it makes us more competitive. By going separately they will lose all the positions they have. We do not beg or ask anything of anyone. In their states they will have to decide. In politics the doors are never closed.
Q. What do you say to panists who feel that allying themselves with the PRI was a mistake that left them in a negative position?
R. We need to ask them how we won the governorship. You have to be serious.
Q. Before the relaunch of the PAN, was there any approach from Jorge Romero to inform you of the announcement?
R. With Jorge Romero I have institutional respect. He will have to take responsibility. He will have to explain to his militancy how they will be able to conquer governorships and mayors on their own.
Q. What awaits the PRI alone in 2027?
R. Grow like a party. It’s not an easy challenge, but we will face it and do well. We will participate and compete in the 17 states. If we go separately to Querétaro, Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Sinaloa or Sonora, we will hit everything (at the PAN). The PRI will always work to build a coalition. The call will be to Mexico. Add PRI members, PAN members and Emecists. Travel the country together. If there is no agreement on the day of registration of coalitions, we will participate alone, but in the United States there are many rumors. They are not doing us any favors, nor are we doing them any favors.
Q. And abandon the triumphalist discourse?
R. We are in opposition, there is no triumphalist speech. In an electoral process we will go to get our votes.
Q. Do you see successes in government?
R. Nobody. The only success they can achieve is to ask for dialogue, an agreement for our country.
Q. Has the PRI thought about allying itself with another party? With the Citizen Movement?
R. Movimiento Ciudadano is a satellite of Morena. We need to form a large bloc of opposition parties, adding social organizations, all to defeat the ruling party. The scenario for obtaining good electoral results is to form a large coalition. Alone we can grow as parties, but it will be more difficult to have spaces for political participation. Together we can have at least 90 constituencies and this allows Morena not to have a qualified majority.
Q. What did the PRI do wrong?
R. I have always said that we must assume our responsibilities as leaders. But to say that the governorships were lost because of me is false. In 2012 we won the national vote with 38%. In 2018 we scored between 14 and 15 points in the presidential elections. More than 15 points were lost. I joined the PRI in 2019. In the 2021 midterm elections we went from 15 points to 18. In 2024 we lost six. I’m not saying it’s the best, but we fought the battle. The governorships were lost to the corrupt and shameless governors who came from the PRI.
Q. Have the States handed over Morena?
R. They gave in and betrayed the PRI militancy. And now they are ambassadors in Morena, the dumping ground of national politics. The PRI members, rats, corrupt, fearful, hypocrites, are in Morena. It is paying a bill for treason and impunity. People are disappointed because there are no medicines, there is no access to healthcare; The roads are destroyed and the countryside is abandoned.
Q. Is the worst of the PRI in Morena?
R. No, because I’m no longer in the PRI.
Q. But they were members of the PRI…
R. They are currently located in Morena.
Q. The origin of his fortune is questioned and that it does not correspond to the income of a public official. How did it grow so much?
R. My assets are public, legitimate and legal. My hands are clean. They are urban legends.
Q. To what do you attribute the fact that their removal process was frozen?
R. It’s not my topic. They have no evidence, no elements, it’s not plausible. They don’t have a mother.
Q. Is there a non-aggression pact between you and Morena?
R. There is no agreement on anything. I can face them because I have nothing to hide. I have no construction companies or businesses. The Government also looked for me under the sole. I like to travel, learn… This is what I work for. If I meet someone and they say something to me, I tell them to go to hell. I can do whatever I want with what I earn. And when they say, “Alito has confidence,” obviously I have a lot of confidence, because they want to kill me. I have an armored truck and I don’t care.
Q. Have you received death threats?
R. They are permanent. They call me on my cell phone and tell me not to testify.
Q. Do they ask you not to declare? Against whom?
R. Against the Government, against organized crime.
R. Will we one day see Alejandro Moreno leave the country due to some accusation?
R. They’ve been chasing me for seven years. I leave the country often, but I come back.
Q. What do you say to those, including PRI members, who have predicted that 2030 will be the final nail in the PRI’s coffin?
R. I’ve been hearing this for three decades. It may not seem humble, but the PRI is immortal. We have about 12% in closed numbers. We will win again, I have no doubt.
Q. Do you think they will return to power?
R. Mexico needs us to already be in government. A first step is 2027. We are immortal because we build institutions. The tricolor is still. We have the colors well set. We need to improve many things and, without a doubt, recognize the mistakes made. They can say many things, but here we are.
