If you’ve lived in Baja long enough, you know our political drama doesn’t walk—it sprints. And this week, it tripped right over the former governor.
Jaime Bonilla Valdez, once the big boss of Baja California, is now officially benched for three years from holding public office. The ruling came straight from the Tribunal Estatal de Justicia Administrativa (yes, the TEJA—the folks who don’t joke around unless it’s about deadlines). The reason? A shiny, ambitious, and wildly unauthorized solar project called Next Energy.
So, here’s the short taco-counter version:
Bonilla’s administration signed off on a massive photovoltaic plant that never had the required federal authorization. Federal as in: “Hey, you can’t build a giant energy project without our permission, amigo.” That detail was apparently skipped, blurred, or filed under “mañana.”
According to the TEJA and statements from the state’s Anti-Corruption Secretary Gabriela Monge, the contract was irregular from day one. Think big promises, big budgets, and a big lack of paperwork. The tribunal classified it as a serious violation, which is bureaucratic language for: “Yeah, this is bad.”
And the story doesn’t end with Bonilla. Several ex-officials from his team have already been dragged into the mix—some sanctioned, others still dancing around court dates. The case file reads like a telenovela, minus the soundtrack and with far more lawyers.
Governor Marina del Pilar confirmed the ruling and reminded everyone that Bonilla can appeal. Which he probably will, because that’s what ex-governors do. But for now, three years on the political sidelines is the official scoreboard.
Meanwhile, the state already clawed back more than 172 million pesos related to the project after the contract was nullified—yes, including those sweet bank-generated earnings. So at least someone in this mess is getting interest.
Grab Another Taco, Here’s the Rest
More hearings, more files, more popcorn. There are still open investigations into possible misuse of public funds and abuse of authority. Translation: the legal ride isn’t over, and we’re all stuck in the same ferry.
So while the solar plant never rose, the heat around Bonilla definitely did.
And as always, I’ll keep digging so you don’t have to—even if it means another long night “researching” from a taco stand with a cold something.
