Florina Righetti Rojo, director of Tijuana’s Municipal Institute of Mental Health and Addictions (IMSAMA), was asked to resign on Tuesday, June 16, after nearly two years leading the city’s primary mental health and addiction services agency. Patients and members of the Municipal Committee Against Addictions rallied at IMSAMA offices on Thursday to demand she stay.
Righetti Rojo informed committee members of her departure via a personal message, telling them that city officials had requested her resignation on Tuesday and that she would complete the formal handover process on Thursday, June 18. The announcement triggered an immediate public response.
Patients and Committee Members Push Back
On Thursday afternoon, supporters gathered at IMSAMA’s offices to protest the decision. They delivered a formal letter addressed to Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz asking him to keep Righetti in her post. The group also launched a signature collection drive to bolster their petition.
Lilia Pacheco, a member of the Municipal Committee Against Addictions, said the group learned of the departure only after Righetti sent her farewell message. Pacheco and other committee members organized the response within hours.
As of Thursday evening, the Tijuana city government had not officially announced Righetti’s departure or explained the reasons behind the request for her resignation.
Recent Work and What Comes Next
Righetti had been active in her role up to the final days. On June 14, just two days before receiving the resignation request, she signed a collaboration agreement between IMSAMA and Universidad Vizcaya de las Américas. That deal was designed to bring university students into mental health and addiction prevention programs through internships and professional training.
In May, Righetti organized the “Run Without Tobacco” 5K race at the CREA Sports Unit, an event aimed at discouraging tobacco and substance use among young people. IMSAMA’s deputy director, Claudia Raquel Trujillo Ruiz, participated in several of these recent events alongside Righetti.
IMSAMA provides addiction treatment, mental health counseling, and prevention programs across Tijuana. A change in leadership could affect the continuity of ongoing initiatives, including the university partnership and community outreach programs launched under Righetti’s tenure.
The city government has not named a replacement. This story was first reported by Semanario Zeta Tijuana.