Director of the DIF in La Paz resigns following controversy over the Fernandito case.

Mario Cristalinas resigned as director general of the System for the Comprehensive Development of the Family (DIF) in La Paz , State of Mexico, almost a week after the murder of Fernandito, a 5-year-old boy who died after being kidnapped for an alleged debt of one thousand pesos.

The official himself announced the news through a public message, in which he thanked Mayor Martha Guerrero for the opportunity to lead the organization for nearly eight months.

"Today marks the end of my term as head of the DIF General Directorate in our beloved municipality of La Paz. It has been an honor and a great responsibility to work for the well-being of our families, always with my heart first," he said.

Cristalinas, 24, took office on January 1, 2025. Her management has been questioned after Fernandito's mother, who has a disability, stated that she went to the municipal DIF (National Institute of Family and Family Development) seeking help to rescue her son, but received no response.

Fabiola Villa, a human rights defender and legal advisor to the family, stated that the woman also went to the regional prosecutor's office without receiving any help and that she was only assisted in Ciudad Mujer. The La Paz City Council stated that there is no formal record of this request in the municipal DIF (District of Inquiry).

In her farewell message, Cristalinas stated that she closes this phase "with a soul full of learning" and with the commitment to continue working for the community "from whatever capacity I serve."

Fernandito, barely 5 years old, was kidnapped on July 28 in the Ejidal community of El Pino by two women, who took him as "collateral" for a thousand-peso loan they had granted to his mother.

After being detained for a week, the minor was found dead in a neighborhood near the Paso de Minas neighborhood in La Paz. According to initial reports, the minor had gone several days without food.

The investigation by the State of Mexico Prosecutor's Office led to the arrest of three people: Carlos "N," Ana Lilia "N," and Lilia "N," father, mother, and daughter, who were taken to the Nezahualcóyotl Penitentiary and Social Reintegration Center. A supervisory judge ordered pretrial detention for their alleged involvement in the child's kidnapping and murder.

On Saturday, family, neighbors, and friends said goodbye to Fernandito with a mass and funeral procession to the Altavista municipal cemetery, where his remains were laid to rest amid demands for justice.