Baja California Sur’s new transparency watchdog has accumulated 284 unresolved review cases since replacing its predecessor agency in February, and residents filing public records requests now face longer wait times by law.
Director Juan Ramón Rojas Aripe confirmed that the Instituto de Transparencia, based in La Paz, has received more than 1,500 information requests since January 2025. Over 80% have been answered, but the remaining cases have piled up during a difficult institutional transition.
New Agency, New Deadlines
The institute replaced the former ITAI (Instituto de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información) on February 15. As part of the restructuring, the legal deadline for responding to information requests increased from 15 to 20 business days. The old ITAI handled all review cases internally, but the new structure splits oversight duties among eight separate authorities.
That redistribution is still underway. Officials said the 284 pending review cases are being analyzed as part of a reconfiguration of the Plataforma Nacional de Transparencia, Mexico’s national transparency database. The institute has requested 45-day extensions to sort out which cases belong to which authority.
State Comptroller Warns of Consequences
Rosa Cristina Buendía Soto, the state comptroller of Baja California Sur, said her office has instructed all government agencies to respond to requests as quickly as possible. She warned that incomplete or late replies could trigger new review filings from requesters and potential sanctions against the agencies responsible.
For anyone who has filed or plans to file a public records request in Baja California Sur, the practical impact is clear. Requests for property records, government permits, regulatory filings, or other public documents will take at least five additional business days under the new rules. The 284-case backlog could push review timelines even further.
What This Means Going Forward
The transparency system in BCS handles requests from residents, businesses, journalists, and legal professionals seeking access to government documents. Before the transition, the ITAI operated as a single oversight body. Now, eight separate authorities share that role, a change that has created logistical challenges during the handoff period.
Rojas Aripe has not given a specific date for clearing the backlog. The 45-day extension requests are ongoing, and the redistribution of cases among the eight authorities remains in progress.
This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.