Rolando Herrera/ Reform Agency
Saturday, December 31, 2022 | 11:23
CDMX.- The Faculty of Higher Studies (FES) Aragón determined that there is a high level of coincidence between the bachelor’s theses of Minister Yasmín Esquivel and former student Edgar Ulises Báez Gutiérrez, however, it reported that it will not be until he resumes his administrative and teaching activities when determine who is responsible.
The Academic and Scientific Integrity Committee, which is in charge of the review, indicated that the reason for the deferral is because those involved presented new documentation that must be analyzed.
“In view of the fact that the parties involved exhibited new documentation, at this moment there are not enough elements to make a comprehensive evaluation of the case that allows establishing the responsibilities of the parties involved, derived from the plagiarism between both theses,” he said.
Yesterday, Esquivel announced that he presented various evidence to the Committee in his favor, including an alleged testimony from Báez Gutiérrez in which he acknowledged that he had copied part of Esquivel’s work.
The investigation began after academic Guillermo Sheridan denounced on December 21 that the Minister plagiarized the former student’s thesis to obtain her law degree in 1987.
The work presented by Esquivel is practically identical to that of Báez Gutiérrez, who registered and presented it in 1986, one year and two months earlier.
The Committee indicated that it reviewed the works, advised by the same professor from the FES Aragón, Martha Rodríguez Ortiz, and found a high level of coincidences in them.
“After carrying out the detailed analysis of the thesis, through its comparison between the one presented by a former student of this Faculty, with that of a former student of the Faculty of Law, as well as evaluating the elements of construction, development, style , ideas and information contained in both works, their temporality in the generation of academic records, the information and evidence that the parties sent to this committee; it was determined that there is a high level of coincidence between both documentary works,” he said.
The urgency for the UNAM to resolve whether Esquivel plagiarized his degree work is because the Minister aspires to preside over the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), whose election will take place next Monday.
The Committee indicated that it will also review the performance of Rodríguez Ortiz, who has also been accused of having advised other theses where plagiarism of previous works has been detected, including two others where part of the study by Báez Gutiérrez is resumed.
“Once the administrative academic activities at the Faculty have resumed, a next session will be convened to continue the aforementioned work, as well as to analyze the performance and observance of the university ethical principles of the adviser of both theses, with strict adherence to the regulations university and full respect for the rights of all parties,” he said.
