Mexican Deputy Caught Playing Padel During Chamber Video Conference Session
On October 20, 2025, Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo, a federal deputy from the ruling Morena party and former Morelos governor, was publicly embarrassed after being caught on video playing padel (a popular racket sport similar to tennis and squash) while connected to a hybrid session of the Chamber of Deputies’ Budget and Public Accounts Committee. The incident occurred during a critical discussion and vote on the proposed General Law on National Waters (Ley General de Aguas Nacionales), an initiative from President Claudia Sheinbaum aimed at strengthening state control over water resources, eliminating private water rights trading, and addressing issues like over-extraction and contamination.
What Happened
- Session Details: The meeting was semipresential (in-person and virtual via Zoom-like platform), focusing on reforms to ensure equitable water access as a public good rather than a commodity. Deputies were required to activate their cameras and mics only for attendance and voting to speed up proceedings.
- The Blunder: Blanco requested to be marked present (“Cuauhtémoc Blanco… Pónganme asistencia, por favor”), but his feed revealed him in athletic wear on a padel court. Clear sounds of racket strikes and balls echoed through the audio, with background chatter from other players. When prompted by Deputy Merilyn Gómez Pozos (Morena) to state his vote three times, he appeared distracted and simply replied, “muchas gracias” (thank you very much), oblivious to the topic.
- Immediate Reactions in Session:
- PRI Deputy Mario Zamora called it out live: “¡Está jugando pádel, no sabe ni qué está votando… hasta acá se oyen los raquetazos!” (He’s playing padel, he doesn’t even know what he’s voting on… we can hear the racket smacks from here!).
- PAN Deputy Patricia Jiménez quipped more sharply: “Anda acosando mujeres” (He’s out harassing women), referencing Blanco’s past allegations of gender-based violence.
- PAN’s Margarita Zavala was seen smiling in the background, adding to the awkwardness.
- Blanco’s Response: He quickly turned off his camera and mic after the vote, disconnecting without further comment. No official statement from him as of October 24, 2025.
Broader Context and Backlash
- Bill Outcome: Despite the distraction, the committee approved the water law opinion with Morena’s majority support. Deputy Reginaldo Sandoval (Morena) defended the reforms, emphasizing state oversight to prevent water hoarding by private entities.
- Public and Political Fallout: The video went viral on social media (e.g., X/Twitter posts by @Juan_OrtizMX garnered thousands of views), sparking memes, criticism for unprofessionalism, and questions about remote session accountability. Critics highlighted Blanco’s pattern of absenteeism and controversies, including:
- A rejected 2025 impeachment bid over alleged attempted rape by his half-sister (Cámara voted 291-158 against desafuero).
- A July 2025 sanction by the Electoral Tribunal for gender-based political violence against ex-deputy Juanita Guerra.
- Morena leader Ricardo Monreal downplayed it post-session, calling Blanco “very intelligent” and assuming he had read the bill, while urging deputies to focus on substance.
- Hybrid Session Scrutiny: The gaffe reignited debates on virtual participation rules, with calls for stricter monitoring to ensure deputies are engaged during key votes.
Blanco, a soccer legend (Club América icon and Mexico national team star from 1992-2016), transitioned to politics in 2018, serving as Morelos governor until 2024 amid scandals. This episode underscores ongoing tensions in Mexico’s Congress over legislator conduct amid hybrid work norms post-COVID. For the full video, check the Chamber’s YouTube channel or Azteca Noticias clips.