The Director of Tampico Port, Rafael Meseguer Lima has just been dismissed from his position. Manuel Flores Guerra, an outsider from Tamaulipas State now occupies the position. Leonardo Lozano Margáin, General Director of Port Administration said that after evaluating of the ports results, they decided to reinforce Tampico’s port operations and opted for removing its director.
Lazo Margáin discounted speculation that the Mary Nour affair could have anything to do with the removal. “The Mary Nour is an isolated issue, and not relevant, otherwise I would have removed him before.”
Meseger Lima, the outgoing director said his mistake was being impartial and that he would not accept being blackmailed or changing the rules of the port. “No doubt, pressure on me was very high and I was threatened markedly. I decided that what I thought was fair and just. According to my judgment, ports should be free to admit any cargo that favours international trade of the country, as long as the ships observe the law”.
However, Lazo Margáin remains firm that the dismissal of Meseguer is only due to his results. Furthermore, the Port of Tampico is now reshaping its profile accepting only specialised cargoes – he said. Whether this will now exclude incoming cement shipments remains to be seen.
