Mexico pension fraud case and retirees' court protest reveal payout failures

An 77‑year‑old woman, Esmeralda del Río, from San Nicolás, Nuevo León, discovered that her Bienestar pension had been withdrawn repeatedly at ATMs in Xalapa, Veracruz. Her daughter, Reyna Sánchez, reports losses of about 38,400 pesos since August 2025, alleging the thieves knew the payment schedule. The Banco del Bienestar cited a “duplicate card” issue but gave no solution, and the family’s complaint to state delegate Genaro Rodríguez Teniente has gone unanswered.

Separately, around 100 retirees in Veracruz have been waiting since 2016 for the return of funds held in the RCV sub‑account, with amounts ranging from 200,000 to 1,000,000 pesos. Norma Elizabeth Palafox Hernández, coordinator of the Movimiento Social Pie de Lucha, says the issue affects roughly 150,000 people nationwide. The group plans a large demonstration on 5 August before the Supreme Court of Mexico, urging a ruling on amparo 65/2025 and highlighting the long‑standing use of jurisprudence 185/2008 to deny payouts. Supreme Court president Hugo Aguilar Ortiz has indicated willingness to review the case, though procedural delays persist.