Mexico, Hierarchy, Indirect Disagreement

What the Boss Wants to Hear

In September 2021, IDC Online reported the Mexican results of “Los Escuchados y los No Escuchados” (The Heard and the Unheard), a survey in 11 countries by the Workforce Institute of UKG and Workplace Intelligence. “El 56% puntualiza en que es más probable que le diga a su jefe lo que quiere oír” (56 percent say that they are more likely to tell their boss what the boss wants to hear).

“El 31% prefiere no hablar para evitar ‘una política interna tóxica'” (31 percent prefer not to speak, to avoid “toxic internal politics”). At the same time, “el 92% de los mexicanos aseguró sentir que sus jefes escuchan sus inquietudes, pero no accionan” (92 percent of Mexicans said that they feel their bosses listen to their concerns but do not act). The article does not say how many workers were surveyed in Mexico.

Insubordination

Article 283 of Mexico’s Code of Military Justice states: “Comete el delito de insubordinación el militar que con palabras, ademanes, señas, gestos o de cualquier otra manera, falte al respeto o sujeción debidos a un superior” (A soldier commits the crime of insubordination who, with words, gestures, signs or in any other way, fails in the respect or submission owed to a superior).

Article 285 sets the penalties for insubordination in service. The first is one year and six months in prison “si se hiciere por medio de palabras o ademanes” (if it is done by words or gestures).

The Democratic Current

A “Documento de trabajo número uno” (Working Paper Number One), dated October 1, 1986, was signed by a group of PRI members, among them Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas and Porfirio Muñoz Ledo. The group, known as the Corriente Democrática, asked the party to open the selection of its candidates to its base. It questioned the dedazo, the method by which the candidate for president was designated.

On March 4, 1987, at the party’s national assembly, PRI president Jorge de la Vega Domínguez said: “En el PRI no tendrán cabida ni la quinta columna ni los caballos de Troya” (In the PRI there will be no room for a fifth column or for Trojan horses). In October 1987, Cárdenas joined another party, the PARM, as its presidential candidate.

The objection was made in a signed document, inside the party. By the end of 1987, Cárdenas and Muñoz Ledo had both left the PRI.

Fear of Reprisals

In 2025, the Consejo Ciudadano de Seguridad Pública and the union group SUCOMM carried out 1,768 interviews with workers in about 33 maquiladoras in Tijuana, Mexicali and Ensenada. According to the weekly ZETA, 68.1 percent had experienced some kind of workplace violence. “El 36.1% de los colaboradores no reportó estas situaciones por temor a represalias” (36.1 percent of the workers did not report these situations for fear of reprisals).

The article does not make clear whether this share refers to all workers interviewed or only to those who experienced violence.

Do Not Grumble

Article 11 of the Law of Discipline of the Mexican Army, Air Force and National Guard reads: “El militar se abstendrá de murmurar con motivo de las disposiciones superiores o de las obligaciones” (A soldier shall refrain from grumbling about the orders of superiors or about duties). Article 3 names the bases of military discipline: “la obediencia, y un alto concepto del honor” (obedience and a high concept of honor).

Article 14 sets a limit. It forbids a soldier to give orders whose execution would be a crime.

With Your Permission, Mr. President

In 1988, Porfirio Muñoz Ledo interpellated President Miguel de la Madrid. El Siglo de Torreón calls the interpellation unprecedented. Muñoz Ledo began with the words “Con su permiso, señor presidente” (With your permission, Mr. President). A member of the PRI tried to hit him to stop him from speaking.

The Boss Is Not Always Right

In July 2021, El Financiero published an article titled “Tu jefe no siempre tiene la razón: ¿de qué manera puedes contradecirlo?” (Your boss is not always right. How can you contradict him?). It notes that “el jefe siempre tiene razón” (the boss is always right) is a golden rule for many people, and it says that this is not true.

Its advice for disagreeing: “Manifiesta el mayor respeto hacia tu jefe, pero di lo que verdaderamente piensas” (Show the greatest respect toward your boss, but say what you truly think).

Obeyed and Not Complied With

Spanish colonial law gave officials a way to stop a royal order for a time. A royal declaration of 1509 says such orders “primero deben ser obedecidas y no cumplidas, y después consultadas” (must first be obeyed and not complied with, and then consulted on). The Recopilación of 1567 uses a similar formula: “que la tal carta sea obedecida y no cumplida.”

Between 1571 and 1574, the authorities of Mexico City, doctors included, applied the formula obedézcase pero no se cumpla, “let it be obeyed but not carried out,” in a dispute over medical practice. A study of the case sums it up: “obedecieron pero no cumplieron” (they obeyed but did not comply).

Strictly Personal

In 2019, the first year of López Obrador’s government, a series of senior officials resigned. Simón Levy, undersecretary of tourism, called his resignation “estrictamente personal” (strictly personal) and “irrevocable.” When Patricia Bugarín left as undersecretary of security, her ministry spoke of reasons that were “estrictamente personales.”

Two officials broke with this. On May 21, Germán Martínez left the IMSS, the social security institute, and called excessive savings in health “inhumano.” On July 9, Finance Secretary Carlos Urzúa wrote in his letter of resignation: “Discrepancias en materia económica hubo muchas” (There were many disagreements on economic matters).

Whatever Time You Say

“¿Qué hora es?” “La que usted diga, señor presidente.” “What time is it?” “Whatever time you say, Mr. President.” Mexican columnists quote the exchange as a well-known maxim. In 2020, a guest column in Expansión applied it to judges who follow the president.

The columns give no origin for it, and none ties it to a particular president. A variant ends la que usted mande, “whatever time you order.”