Salazar on Córdova

Ana María Salazar reminds us that whatever the complaints against Calderón and his team, Mexico seems to have dodged a bullet, and gives the credit to José Ángel Córdova, the author's ideal for official competence:

From being an almost unknown secretary for the majority of Mexicans, José Ángel Córdova Villalobos, in less than 24 hours, turned into the emblematic figure before the nation and the international community of the dangerous battle against the AH1N1 epidemic that continues affecting Mexico and the world.

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The reason that there wasn't social upheaval and more protests has to do with the credibility of the Secretary of Health. Upon discovering the impact of the new virus and the measures that had to be taken, José Ángel Córdova Villalobos wasn't perceived as an ambitious politician, but rather a doctor worried about our health. The Secretary of Health speaks from the pulpit of experience, and not from subordinates' talking points. Before the insistent and demanding questions from media outlets to explain the confusing stats regarding "confirmed cases" and "suspected cases", he remained calm and patient (with some rare exceptions). In fact, during a press conference Mexico City suffered an earthquake of 5.7 on the Richter scale. The secretary didn't stop talking even as the city shook before the cameras.

I repeat what I have said before in this space: before an emergency, or a contingency, the leadership capacity of the government is essential from a national security perspective. Before a national security threat, whether a country survives or disintegrates depends a great deal on the quality of its officials and politicians. In an authoritarian state, the government can exercise absolute control over the population. But in a democracy, even during a crisis, the population rebels and rejects authority.

What leadership lessons should the political class learn from this experience? First of all, we must underline the importance of the credibility of the messenger in delivering difficult information or he or she could be rejected by the public.

In the case of the Secretary of Health, his credibility derives in part from his experience, but more than anything because he appears to have no political ambitions.