Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas

Rafael Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas (born 25 April 1975), often known as Alito, is a Mexican politician who has been the President of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) since 2019. He served as Governor of Campeche from 2015 to 2019.

Early life and education
Moreno Cárdenas was born on 25 April 1975, in San Francisco de Campeche, Campeche. He received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Institute of Superior Technological Studies René Descartes (ITES René Descartes). He also has a diploma on electoral law from the Autonomous University of Campeche.

Political career
He has been an active member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) since 1991. In 2002, he was elected as síndico of judicial affairs in the Municipio of Campeche. He served as a National List Deputy in both the LIX and LXII Legislatures of the Mexican Congress. Moreno Cárdenas served as a Senator during the LX and LXI Legislatures.

Moreno Cárdenas was Governor of Campeche from September 2015 to July 2019. He resigned in order to run for president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

Party leadership
He served in the following positions within the PRI in Campeche: as state counselor, as a municipal councilor, as president of the Municipal Directive Committee (CDM) of the Popular Revolutionary Youth of the National Confederation of Popular Organizations (CNOP), and as president of the State Directive Committee of the Popular Revolutionary Youth of the CNOP.

On the national level, he served as Organization Secretary of the National Executive Committee (CEN) of the Revolutionary Youth Front and National Coordinator of the Revolutionary Youth Front of PRI.

In 2019, he was unanimously elected as president of the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPPAL) for the 2019 to 2023 period. He was reelected for the 2022-2026 period in mid-2022. A reason for why the election was called a year early has not been identified.

Business career
During his term as Governor of Campeche (2015-2019), he acquired several local newspapers, including El Sur, Novedades, El Expreso de Campeche, and the digital news-site webcampeche.com. Local newspapers and magazines of Campeche and Veracruz have also pointed out he allegedly bought the TV channel Mayavisión using his brother, Gabriel Emigdio Moreno Cárdenas, as an intermediary.

Controversies
Amid criticism about mishandling funds during his campaign, on 13 July 2019, Moreno Cárdenas requested to be relieved of his duties as governor so that he could run for president of the PRI and then was elected. The Congress of Campeche named Carlos Miguel Aysa González in his place.

His tenure as president of his party has been surrounded by controversy, especially due to the audioscandals released by the current Governor of Campeche, Layda Sansores. Although he sought legal protection against the release of more audios, because they were allegedly acquired illegally, courts in several states have rejected his petitions.

Recently, both critics from within his party and experts have claimed the hits to his reputation threaten the viability of the coalition Va por México (which includes the National Action Party (PAN), the PRI, and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD)), and have called for him to resign. Alito has rejected such calls, justifying his decision on the fact that his term as president of the party ends in 2023.

Personal life
He is married to Christelle Castañón, and has two children with her.