Millions in City Contracts to Allies of Mayor’s Brother: A Deep Dive into Juárez’s Public Works
CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua, Mexico – An in-depth investigation has uncovered a pattern of lucrative public works contracts awarded by the Ciudad Juárez municipal government to individuals closely associated with Federal Deputy Alejandro Pérez Cuéllar, brother of Mayor Cruz Pérez Cuéllar. Between 2021 and 2025, these two individuals, Irvin Alonso Ruiz Orozco and Kenya Daniela Garibay Baca, secured 20 contracts totaling nearly 74 million pesos, sparking concerns about nepotism and a lack of transparency in public procurement.
From Desk Job to Million-Dollar Contractor: The Rise of Irvin Ruiz Orozco
The story begins with Irvin Alonso Ruiz Orozco, who, just a few years ago, held a modest administrative position in the Directorate of Public Works, earning a little over 11,000 pesos monthly. His role involved reading out bid results. However, in a remarkably short period, Ruiz Orozco transitioned into a major public works contractor for the very municipality he once served.
Despite a lack of prior construction experience, and often relying on rented machinery and the professional license of his collaborator, Kenya Garibay Baca, Ruiz Orozco amassed tens of millions of pesos in contracts as an individual contractor between 2021 and 2023. Garibay Baca, initially his site resident, later established her own construction company, KIDA, which then took over securing significant contracts in 2024 and 2025.
Political Ties and Business Expansion: A Coincidental Relationship?
Both Ruiz Orozco and Garibay Baca maintain close political ties with Federal Deputy Alejandro Pérez Cuéllar. They were integral members of his 2024 campaign team and frequently accompany him at political events in Ciudad Juárez. Social media posts further reveal a friendship that extends beyond mere political affiliation, showcasing shared birthdays, soccer games, and social gatherings with the Deputy and his team.
This burgeoning relationship coincided directly with the contractors’ business expansion. From November 2021 to December 2025, they secured municipal contracts for various projects, including:
- Pavement and road construction
- Sports facilities
- School renovations
- Rehabilitation of public buildings
- Primarily, the construction of parks
Red Flags and Expert Concerns
While authorities and contractors deny any irregularities, specialists consulted for this investigation highlight several red flags:
- Lack of Experience: Neither contractor had documented prior experience in the construction sector before 2021.
- Contract Accumulation: Ruiz Orozco received 12 contracts as an individual, and KIDA, Garibay Baca’s company, secured 8 contracts in a short period.
- Newly Created Companies: KIDA received its first contract just nine months after its creation.
- Potential Conflicts of Interest: The close personal and political ties between the contractors and the Mayor’s brother raise serious questions.
Professor Alejandro Ponce de León, an expert in public procurement, emphasized, “Adhering to the letter of the law does not preclude the possibility of irregularities. The concentration of contracts in a small group linked to power is a classic indicator of potential issues, even if technically legal.”
The Transition: From Public Servant to Lucrative Contractor
Irvin Ruiz Orozco’s journey is particularly striking. Two years before receiving his first municipal contract, he was a trusted employee in the Directorate of Public Works. Upon leaving this public post and coinciding with Mayor Pérez Cuéllar’s administration, he embarked on a career as a contractor, accumulating 38.5 million pesos in invoices between 2021 and 2024.
Ruiz Orozco, who holds degrees in Public Administration and Political Science, and Law, stated that he left municipal government because he “really likes business” and became a municipal supplier because he knows public works law “inside and out.” He also ran as a councilor candidate for the Green Ecologist Party (PVEM) in the 2024 elections, actively campaigning alongside Alejandro Pérez Cuéllar.
KIDA: A New Player, Same Connections
Kenya Garibay Baca, who served as Ruiz Orozco’s site resident from 2021 to 2023, established her company, Construcciones y Servicios Industriales KIDA, in September 2023. Just nine months later, in June 2024, KIDA secured its first municipal contract for 5 million pesos for park rehabilitation. This timing closely followed Garibay Baca’s prominent role in Alejandro Pérez Cuéllar’s campaign.
Within 18 months, KIDA received eight contracts totaling over 35 million pesos. Notably, in seven of the eight bids, KIDA was the lowest bidder against only one competitor, raising further questions about genuine competition.
Questionable Project Costs and Deterioration
A closer look at some of the projects reveals potentially inflated costs and rapid deterioration:
- Veteran’s Club Soccer Fields: 6.7 million pesos, with 5 million allocated to 12,500 square meters of synthetic turf and 140,000 pesos for four goalposts (35,000 each).
- Reforma Market Renovation: 6.4 million pesos, with over 3.1 million for TPO membrane installation for waterproofing and 200,000 for 330 meters of membrane mat.
- Park La Casita: 5 million pesos, with 189,547 pesos for eight metal benches (nearly 24,000 each), while similar benches in the Vizcaya subdivision cost 16,159 each.
Furthermore, the Park La Casita, completed in June 2024, already showed signs of deterioration a year later, including damaged play equipment, faded paint, and debris. A similar situation was observed at El Encanto Park.
Evasion and Minimization from Officials
When questioned, Federal Deputy Alejandro Pérez Cuéllar stated he “did not know” about the municipal contracts awarded to his collaborators and refused to elaborate. Mayor Cruz Pérez Cuéllar defended the contracts, asserting that no irregularities existed and that the contractors had a right to participate in public bids. He also minimized the total amount by comparing it to the overall municipal budget, stating it represented a mere 0.16% of the 34 billion peso budget between 2021 and 2024, excluding contracts awarded in late 2025.
However, the actual public works expenditure during the first three years of his administration was 3.156 billion pesos, not the total budget he cited. The Mayor’s calculations appear to deliberately obscure the true proportion of these contracts within the public works budget.
Unanswered Questions and Calls for Investigation
This investigation leaves several critical questions unanswered:
- Why were individuals with no prior construction experience awarded such significant public works contracts?
- What role did the close political and personal ties with the Mayor’s brother play in securing these contracts?
- Are the costs associated with these projects justified, given the rapid deterioration observed in some cases?
- Why is there such a lack of competitive bidding in these municipal tenders?
The findings of this investigation have been submitted to relevant oversight bodies, urging a thorough review of these contracts and the procurement processes in Ciudad Juárez. The public deserves transparency and accountability in how its tax money is spent.
Source: https://www.istmopress.com.mx/periodismo-colaborativo/gobierno-de-ciudad-juarez-otorgo-contratos-millonarios-a-aliados-politicos-del-hermano-del-alcalde-cruz-perez-cuellar/
