The Fourth Transformation’s austerity narrative has taken another hit. Morena Congressman Sergio Gutiérrez Luna and his wife, Labor Party Congresswoman Diana Karina Barreras—known online as #DatoProtegido—attended an exclusive party during the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix. VIP tickets ranged from $3,500 to $8,500 USD per person. Both legislators gained access via complimentary invitations from the upscale Club 51, a clear violation of at least two laws: the Austerity Law and the General Law of Administrative Responsibilities.
A gift that breaks the law
Club 51, located in Mexico City’s Torre Mayor, publicly confirmed it extended two complimentary invitations to Gutiérrez Luna for the event held in their private suite during the race. However, under current Mexican law, public servants—legislators included—are prohibited from receiving any gift or benefit, directly or indirectly, that could compromise their official duties.
“Public servants must decline gifts, donations, underpriced sales, or similar situations that could interfere with the performance of their duties”.
— General Law of Administrative Responsibilities, Article 6, Section III
Additionally, the 2019 Austerity Law—championed by then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and passed by Morena’s congressional majority—explicitly forbids legislators from accepting economic benefits unrelated to their duties. Attending a party worth more than two months of their official salary falls squarely into that category.
Lavish lifestyles that don’t add up
The congressional couple has drawn increased scrutiny following the release of photos showing them wearing designer apparel and accessories that far exceed their reported incomes. Highlights include:
- A Hublot watch valued at 600,000 pesos (Gutiérrez Luna)
- Marsell boots priced at 19,000 pesos
- Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses worth up to 18,000 pesos
- A Cartier ring valued at over 1 million pesos (Barreras)
- A Cartier necklace worth 115,000 pesos
- Thebs jacket and Paul Parkman shoes, each over 10,000 pesos
None of these luxury items appear in their publicly filed asset declarations, even though the law requires elected officials to report personal property, including art, jewelry, and high-value items.
#DatoProtegido and judicial shielding
Barreras recently won a case in the Federal Electoral Tribunal requiring a social media user to publicly apologize without mentioning her name. The case has drawn criticism and raised concerns that some lawmakers within the Fourth Transformation (4T) are using institutions to shield themselves from public accountability while enjoying a lifestyle starkly opposed to their public message.
Austerity for whom?
Gutiérrez Luna, who previously criticized the high salaries of electoral officials at Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE), now finds himself accused of wearing shoes more expensive than the monthly salary of those same workers he once defended. In 2024, he reported total annual income of 1.1 million pesos; his wife declared 349,000 pesos. Combined, their official earnings totaled less than 1.5 million pesos—yet their possessions easily exceed two million.
Conclusion
The case of lawmakers Gutiérrez Luna and Barreras illustrates a glaring contradiction between the Fourth Transformation’s rhetoric and its reality. While advocating budget cuts and demanding public sacrifice, they accept illegal gifts and flaunt a lifestyle their official income cannot sustain—seemingly under the protection, implicit or explicit, of their political parties and the power they wield.
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