Who is Paolo Salerno, the lawyer who “advised” Va por Mexico during the Electricity Reform

Last Thursday, April 7, inside the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies, a person who did not belong to the body of legislators was designated as a “lobbyist” for private companies in the energy sector and, in the heat of the moment, was urged to withdraw from the seat area to sit in the back.

This individual was talking with Edna Gisel Diaz Acevedo, a member of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), who has already made some statements about the meeting; however, public opinion soon began a series of accusations and accusations against this subject.

This is Paolo Salerno, an Italian-born lawyer specializing in energy issues who has accompanied the legislative process of the Electricity Reform of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). Salerno is a “managing partner” of its own law firm: Salerno y Asociados.

Since the images transmitted on the Congress Channel went viral, some netizens linked him to the Italian company Enel (Ente nazionale per l'energia elettrica), which specializes in producing and distributing electricity and gas; however, both he and the firm denied the relationship.

Through an official statement, Enel denied that the person versed in law is a lobbyist for his firm:

On his own, Salerno gave an interview to El Heraldo, in which he elaborated on what he was doing in the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies, his work and his employment relations in relation to the PRD deputy with whom he was seen.

Salerno said that at a certain point in the session, the chairman of the Presiding Officers made the mention that technical advisers could not be in the places assigned to the deputies, consequently, the lawyer moved to the end of the room: “I immediately got up at the end of the room like other technical advisers who were there.”

In this regard, he recalled that he also participated in the Open Parliament forums, since being an authority on the subject, his voice served to consult the opinions of specialists during the discussion of the AMLO Electricity Reform. He also said he is willing to engage in dialogue with any politician “of any color” to talk about the issue.

However, and although at the beginning of the interview he assured that he was providing advisory services, faced with the direct question “Are you hired as an advisor by Va por Mexico or how does it work?” , the consultant denied any contractual relationship with the coalition opposed to the 4Q government.

Finally, Diaz Acevedo pointed out that he had no interference with the lawyer entering the plenary session:

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