Mexico & Nafta - 10 February 2004

Flores's dismissal is politically significant because he was close to President Vicente Fox. His appointment was criticised by senators, who vet ambassadorial and senior consular appointments. The senators said that he had neither the qualifications nor the experience for the job. Flores had been a senior official in the state administration when Fox was governor of Guanajuato.

The foreign ministry admitted that there had been excessive spending on furniture and fittings at the recently reopened OECD mission.

Flores is accused of spending US$250,000 on four Volvo cars and of spending M$131,000 (US$12,000) on six mattresses and seven pillows for the mission. He also spent US$500 on a trouser press and US$300 on a corkscrew. On top of this, Flores spent Euro 1.16n on a property in the chic Paris suburb of Le Vestinet.

The foreign ministry is undergoing an external audit of its spending, but Flores's dismissal comes before the final report has been completed. This report, which is being led by Eduardo Romero Ramos, the head of the Secretarí­a de la Función Pública, should report by mid February.

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