UAEMéx in Tension: Demanding In-Person Voting for Rector's Office

The succession of presidents at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMéx) has entered a tense phase after a meeting of academics demanded that the vote to elect the new president be in person, rather than electronically, amid a climate of mistrust.

The highest educational institution in the State of Mexico, the UAEMéx, is undergoing a rector succession process marked by controversy and mistrust. The university community is divided over the election method, a conflict that reflects internal power struggles for control of one of the state's most important institutions.

The central point of the dispute is the demand for a UAEMéx Academic Assembly to allow for in-person voting. The proposal to hold an electronic vote has been met with skepticism by a segment of the community, which fears a lack of transparency and the possibility of manipulation of the process.

This dispute is not merely technical; it is a battle over the legitimacy of the university's next leadership. Those who defend ballot voting argue that it is the only way to guarantee certainty and confidence in the results, while proponents of electronic voting point to its modernization and efficiency.

The tense climate has already had repercussions on the electoral board. Dolores Durán, former director of the Faculty of Engineering, announced her withdrawal from the presidency. This move alters the political landscape of the election and reshapes the alliances between the various groups seeking to influence the future of the university.

University autonomy is, in practice, a political battleground. The election of a rector at a public university of the magnitude of the UAEMéx is not merely an academic matter. It is an event of great interest to the state's political actors, as the university's leadership has considerable influence on public opinion, the budget, and the training of future professional and political elites.

The current conflict over the voting method can be seen as a manifestation of these underlying power struggles, where different factions seek to ensure that the process favors their interests. Meanwhile, the university community hopes the dispute will be resolved in a way that strengthens, not weakens, the integrity and autonomy of their alma mater.