Rosa Icela Rodríguez

Rosa Icela Rodríguez
Secretary of the Interior
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 October 2024
President	Claudia Sheinbaum
Preceded by	Luisa María Alcalde Luján
Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection
In office 3 November 2020 – 30 September 2024
President	Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Preceded by	Alfonso Durazo Montaño
Succeeded by	Omar García Harfuch
General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine
In office 27 July 2020 – 29 October 2020
President	Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Preceded by	Héctor Juvencio López Gutiérrez
Succeeded by	Ana Laura López Bautista
Secretary of Government of Mexico City
In office 5 December 2018 – 26 July 2020
Preceded by	Guillermo Orozco Loreto
Succeeded by	José Alfonso Suárez del Real
Secretary of Rural Development and Equity for the Communities of Mexico City
In office 16 June 2015 – 15 January 2018
Preceded by	Hegel Cortés Miranda
Succeeded by	Evangelina Hernández
Secretary of Social Development of Mexico City
In office 5 December 2012 – 15 June 2015
Preceded by	Jesús Valdés Peña
Succeeded by	José Ramón Amieva
Personal details
Born	Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez (1959-09-05) September 5, 1959 Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Political party	National Regeneration Movement (since 2018) Party of the Democratic Revolution (2000–2018)
Residence	Mexico City
Education	Degree in Journalism
Alma mater	Escuela de Periodismo Carlos Septién García
Profession	Politician and public servant

Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez (born September 5, 1959) is a Mexican politician, journalist, and public servant affiliated with the National Regeneration Movement (Morena). She has been serving as the Secretary of the Interior since October 1, 2024, under the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Previously, Rodríguez held the position of Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection during the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2020–2024), becoming the first woman in Mexican history to head the nation's public security portfolio. Her tenure marked significant milestones in addressing public safety challenges and implementing reforms in Mexico's security strategy.

Early life and education

Rosa Icela Rodríguez was born in 1959 in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, in the Huasteca Potosina region. At a young age, her family moved to Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, where she completed her primary education. Later, she relocated to Mexico City, where she pursued journalism at the Carlos Septién García School of Journalism. She worked as a journalist for Televisa Radio, El Universal, La Afición, and La Jornada.

Early career

During the tenure of Andrés Manuel López Obrador as head of the Mexico City government, she held several key positions, including General Director of Citizen Participation and General Director of Political Negotiation and Social and Citizen Attention.

Rodríguez served as the government representative in Territorial Coordination for Public Security and Justice in high-risk areas such as Tepito and the neighborhoods of Doctores and Obrera. She implemented strategies combining intelligence, police operations, and community networks to reduce crime rates in these zones.

Under the government of Marcelo Ebrard, she served as General Coordinator of the Government and Public Security Cabinet (2006–2009) and as director of the Institute for the Care of Older Adults (2009–2012). During the administration of Miguel Ángel Mancera, Rodríguez held the roles of Secretary of Social Development (2012–2015) and Secretary of Rural Development and Equity for Communities (2015–2018).

She was appointed as Secretary of Government of Mexico City from 2018 to 2020, serving under Claudia Sheinbaum.

In 2020, President López Obrador named her General Coordinator of Ports and Merchant Marine. Later that year, she was nominated as Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, becoming the first woman to hold this position. Her appointment was finalized on December 30, 2020.

On July 4, 2024, President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced Rodríguez as the incoming Secretary of the Interior, a role she officially assumed on October 1, 2024.

Rodríguez has been honored with the Omecíhuatl Medal, awarded by the Institute for Women of Mexico City, and the Tepantlato Merit Award in Social Development, among other distinctions.

Published works

She is the co-author of the book Needs for the Care of Older Adults in Mexico City: Diagnosis and Policy Guidelines, co-editor of Autonomy and Dignity in Old Age: Theory and Practice in Policies for the Rights of Older Adults and a contributor to The Rights of Older Adults in the 21st Century: Situation, Experiences, and Challenges. All of these works were published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Government of Mexico City.