The multimillion-dollar debt that Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s companies have begun to pay—with discounts and in installments—represents only a portion of the 74 billion pesos that the Mexican government recorded last year. In other words, contrary to what the businessman has maintained, his companies are still not up to date with their tax obligations.
Grupo Salinas, the conglomerate that includes companies such as TV Azteca and Banco Azteca, made an initial payment of 10,400,630,537 pesos to the SAT on January 29. However, it still owes 18 monthly payments of 1,207,349,000 pesos each, totaling 21,732,267,121 pesos.
In addition, at least 23 billion pesos in tax credits remain in other legal proceedings, according to information released by the federal government last June. In total, the outstanding debt to the Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT) amounts to at least 44 billion pesos, not counting the debt to creditors in the United States, which as of last October was estimated at 10.136 billion pesos.
Despite this, Grupo Salinas has insisted that, with the first payment made this week, “we no longer owe anything to the government.” The truth is that litigation is still ongoing. Ricardo Salinas even spoke of beginning a new chapter, in the same week that he reiterated, in an interview with the Financial Times, his intention to seek the Mexican presidency. “If there is no alternative for me, I will do it,” he said when questioned about a possible candidacy in 2030.
