Day 760: Rocha Moya Requests Second Leave, Just 34 Hours After Resuming Governorship

Rubén Rocha Moya filed a new leave-of-absence request with the Permanent Deputation of the Sinaloa Congress on Saturday, August 22, 2026 — only 34 hours after he had resumed his post following a 112-day absence on August 21. Unlike his first leave (a fixed period beginning May 1), the new request was for an indefinite period exceeding 30 days, with no set return date. The document was addressed to Juan Diego Aranzubia Iturrios, president of the Congress's Mesa Directiva. The renewed departure followed continued pressure from within his own Morena party — including from Senator Ricardo Monreal — and unresolved US Department of Justice drug-trafficking and weapons-trafficking accusations against him filed in the April 29–30 SDNY indictment. The Permanent Deputation convened to schedule an extraordinary session of the full Congress for Monday, August 24 to process the request and name a replacement.