# Leonel Cota Montaño departure from SADER

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/leonel-cota-montao-departure-from-sader
> Updated: 2026-10-19T22:18:10.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

Leonel Cota Montaño, the former governor of Baja California Sur, has departed from his role at the Subsecretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural (SADER). Initially, reports indicated he would transition to political organization roles for the Morena party in Chihuahua to prepare for the 2027 elections.

Subsequent developments clarified that President Claudia Sheinbaum requested his official departure to prevent allegations of using public institutions for electoral purposes. This request followed the appointment of Cota Montaño’s son, Manuel Cota Cárdenas, as a political coordinator for Morena in Baja California Sur. Sheinbaum stated the separation was necessary to ensure the Ministry of Agriculture is not perceived as supporting specific candidates. While leaving his federal post, Cota Montaño may still collaborate with the Morena party in a partisan capacity.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-19: Claudia Sheinbaum requests official departure of Leonel Cota to avoid electoral conflicts

President Claudia Sheinbaum requested Leonel Cota Montaño leave his post in Agriculture to avoid conflicts of interest following his son Manuel Cota’s appointment as a Morena coordinator in Baja California Sur.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/claudia-sheinbaum-requests-official-departure-of-leonel-cota-to-avoid-electoral-conflicts

### 2026-10-16: Leonel Cota Montaño leaves SADER for Morena political roles

Former Baja California Sur governor Leonel Cota Montaño is leaving SADER to join Morena’s political operations in Chihuahua ahead of the 2027 elections.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/leonel-cota-montao-leaves-sader-for-morena-political-roles

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Cite as: Leonel Cota Montaño departure from SADER. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/leonel-cota-montao-departure-from-sader