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Following the recent resignation of Héctor “Teto” Betancourt, two of the main LGBTIQ+ community organizations in Puerto Vallarta have spoken out, urging Mayor Luis Ernesto Munguía to appoint an individual with experience, capacity, and real ties to the community to lead the municipality’s Sexual Diversity Department (Jefatura de Diversidad Sexual).
The Red Diversidad Vallarta (Vallarta Diversity Network) and the Cabildo de la Diversidad de Puerto Vallarta(Puerto Vallarta Diversity Council) have issued a public statement making a direct appeal to the municipal authority. Their main request is that the new leader of this office, created to guarantee the rights of the LGBTIQ+ population, be an active member of the community and not a figure designated by political quotas.
The organizations point out that, despite its important mandate, the Sexual Diversity Office has had a difficult start. In its first ten months, its operability was “significantly limited” by the insufficiency of human, material, and financial resources.
“In practice, the municipal attention provided to sexual and gender diversity has been insufficient and has not lived up to the mandate established in the Municipal Government Regulations,” stated the Red Diversidad Vallarta.
Key Criteria for the New Appointment
To ensure the office fulfills its function and achieves the inclusion the community requires, both groups demand an appointment that is prompt, transparent, and based on suitability.
According to their statement, the person who takes office must meet three essential criteria:
- Be a member of the LGBTIQ+ community.
- Possess verifiable training and experience in sexual and gender diversity issues.
- Maintain a verifiable history of dialogue and collaboration with local groups and collectives.
“This figure must serve the people they represent and not be the result of political quotas or designations that lack technical or community backing,” they emphasized.
The Red Diversidad Vallarta and the Cabildo de la Diversidad have reiterated their willingness to constructively collaborate in this process. Their ultimate goal is to strengthen municipal institutions and lay the foundation for a public policy that is fairer, more inclusive, and based on a solid Human Rights approach.
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