Ex-PAN Politician Joins Tijuana City Council Under Green Party

Gerardo Álvarez Hernández, a former member of the National Action Party (PAN), was sworn into the Tijuana City Council on Tuesday as a representative of the Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM). He replaces councilmember José de Jesús Franco Cázarez, who requested a leave of absence from the body.

Tijuana Government Secretary Arnulfo Guerrero León announced the change on April 8. Álvarez enters the council as Franco Cázarez’s designated alternate, taking over a seat with oversight of the Environment, Sustainable Development, and Health Commission.

From PAN Loyalist to Green Party Convert

Álvarez is no stranger to Tijuana’s city government. He previously served on the council as a PAN representative during the administration of former Mayor Jorge Ramos. He left PAN in 2023 and joined the PVEM, becoming part of a broader wave of former PAN politicians who migrated to parties aligned with the ruling “Fourth Transformation” (4T) movement led by Morena.

PAN has historically been the dominant political force in Tijuana, controlling the city for roughly two decades. The party’s grip on power in Baja California’s largest city has loosened in recent years as Morena and its coalition partners, including the PVEM, have gained ground across the state.

The Green Party’s Growing Role in Baja California

The PVEM, despite its environmentalist branding, is known in Mexican politics for its pragmatic alliances rather than ideological consistency. The party allied with PAN in 2000, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) from 2003 to 2018, and has been partnered with Morena since 2019 under the Juntos Haremos Historia (“Together We’ll Make History”) coalition. Critics have long described the PVEM as a party that changes allegiance based on which faction holds national power.

The migration of former PAN officials to the PVEM in Baja California tracks with a national pattern. As Morena consolidated power across Mexico, smaller parties in its coalition became landing spots for politicians seeking to align with the ruling bloc.

Álvarez’s appointment to the Environment, Sustainable Development, and Health Commission places him in a position to influence local policy on issues including air quality, water management, and public health, all topics of direct concern in a border city of nearly two million residents.

The length of Franco Cázarez’s leave of absence was not specified in the announcement. It remains unclear whether Álvarez will serve out the remainder of the current council term or step aside if Franco Cázarez returns.

This story was first reported by Punto Norte.