Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum made clear Monday that she would not stand in the way of justice after a video emerged appearing to show Victor Rodriguez, the former chief of state-owned energy company Pemex, physically assaulting his wife.
The video was uploaded to YouTube on Friday by a woman who identified herself as Maria Felicia Jimenez, Rodriguez’s wife. The footage appears to have been captured by a home security camera in a living room and carries a date of March 15, 2026. Reuters has not independently confirmed the video’s authenticity.
At the time shown in the recording, Rodriguez was still serving as the top executive at Pemex. He later announced he was stepping down on May 14, in a joint video alongside Sheinbaum, who expressed gratitude for his work and described his exit as consistent with a timeline he had set before accepting the position.
Attempts to reach Rodriguez for comment were unsuccessful. A post on an X account that appeared to be his stated that he had withdrawn from any public-facing role while authorities investigate the matter, and that he was willing to cooperate with all relevant agencies.
“Let the law be applied, we will not protect anyone,” Sheinbaum declared at her regular morning press briefing.
“There can be no violence against women,” she added, making clear that Rodriguez would not be given any position within her government going forward.
In the five-minute clip reviewed by Reuters, Rodriguez is seen grabbing a woman by the throat, yanking her by the hair, pushing her, and pinning her down on a couch. He appears shirtless during portions of the video and is clearly recognizable throughout. A young child is briefly visible at the beginning of the footage before leaving the frame.
A written statement accompanying the YouTube video read: “Breaking my silence meant losing my job, my money, having nowhere to live, and having my children taken from me, simply because of his closeness to the highest spheres of power — the presidency, governors, members of congress, secretaries of state.”
The statement continued: “This is a government led by women, so I am asking for help and for the necessary measures to be taken to protect me and my children who are minors.”
The attorney general’s office for the state of Morelos announced on X Friday that it had launched an investigation into suspected criminal conduct stemming from a video “in which a violent act against a woman is observed.”
Throughout her time in office, Sheinbaum has consistently championed gender equality, a violence-free life for women, and what she has called an “era of women” since taking power.
Rodriguez has been a long-standing ally of Sheinbaum, with the two sharing both a personal and professional history going back to their time as students. After departing Pemex in May, he was named to lead the energy transition institute INEEL, though the energy ministry later clarified in a statement that his appointment was never officially finalized.
