Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier has resigned, the government said Thursday, amid a trade dispute with the United States and Canada over President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s energy policies.
“We respect her decision,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.
“We insisted that she stay, but she’s a woman with convictions,” he added, without elaborating on her reasons.
Clouthier appeared at Lopez Obrador’s daily news conference, thanking him for the opportunity to serve in his government.
Lopez Obrador did not immediately name a replacement for the 58-year-old, who took the position in December 2020 having previously served as a lawmaker and campaign manager for Lopez Obrador.
Her resignation comes as Mexico faces a formal trade complaint from the United States and Canada under a North American trade deal, the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Lopez Obrador has promoted reforms to strengthen the state-owned electricity provider CFE and roll back the effects of liberalization under previous governments that he says benefited private companies.
Washington and Ottawa say Lopez Obrador’s push to boost the state’s role in the energy industry hurt foreign investors and impeded development of clean energy.
