President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the port was “privatized” by one of his predecessors but didn’t name the concessionary, reported Reuters.
He questioned how a company had secured such a long hold on the rights. ““Obviously, we need to see about getting this concession revoked,” he said.
A document later posted on Twitter by Lopez Obrador showed the concession was held by API Veracruz, the port administrator created in 1993 by former president Carlos Salinas.
In the tweet, Lopez Obrador said Salinas “privatized” the port, although API Veracruz is a state-run company under the federal government, according to official public records.
Hutchison Ports ICAVE, part of CK Hutchison Holdings (0001.HK), which recently helped build a new terminal alongside API Veracruz, handles container operations at the port.