The Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS) introduced former Minister Camila Vallejo (PC) in Mexico City as director of Ruta Continental. It is a new Latin American school that will train young leaders in social security. The former spokesperson for Gabriel Boric's government will work from Chile and travel periodically to Mexico.
According to T13, which reproduced an investigation by Ex-Ante, the program will select 50 young people aged 18 to 30. They will come from student organizations, unions, collectives and communities across Latin America.
The deputy director will be Susana González (PC), Vallejo's former chief of staff at the General Secretariat of Government. González later led the communications team for Jeannette Jara's presidential campaign.
In an interview with the Mexican outlet Animal Político, Vallejo and CISS Secretary General Pedro Kumamoto denied that the school has electoral or partisan aims. The former minister said it seeks to provide tools to "build more and better democracy". Kumamoto mentioned the creation of cooperatives, tenants' unions and initiatives before legislatures as possible activities.
CISS has Chilean origins. It was founded in Santiago in 1942 at the initiative of Salvador Allende, then Minister of Health, and brings together social security institutions from across the continent. According to its website, institutions from 35 countries and territories in the Americas participate.
They included Chile's Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, at least until 2025. A report from late 2025 indicates that Chilean members owed US$26,582 in dues.
It is currently chaired by Zoé Robledo, director of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). Kumamoto, a Mexican political leader, became secretary general in January 2025 following his nomination by President Claudia Sheinbaum. Upon his appointment, he promised to honor "the tradition that began almost 9 decades ago with Salvador Allende".
The main funder is Mexico, through IMSS, a public institution supported by worker and employer contributions and government funding. For 2026, the host country's dues total US$3.57 million, 56% of projected revenue of US$6.36 million.
The accounts are a cause for concern. A triennial report by the CISS internal comptroller's office, dated December 18, 2025, recorded assets of US$3.32 million and liabilities of US$7.17 million as of October that year. The result was negative equity of US$3.85 million.
The comptroller warned of a "risk of financial insolvency" due to long-term commitments. He also warned of a potential liquidity shortage, as financial investments fell 93.2% between October 2024 and October 2025.
Over the same period, administrative expenses rose 27.5%. The report states that, although the number of employees declined, "the salaries of the new executives have increased substantially in 2025". It recommends applying "strict cost-saving criteria".
The organization also stopped paying rent on its building in Mexico City, which belongs to IMSS. Payments stopped in late 2017, and the debt was restructured in 2024. As of October 2025, it totaled US$5.32 million.
The organization has faced political scrutiny. Gibrán Ramírez, a former secretary general, is linked to Morena (National Regeneration Movement). It is Mexico's governing left-wing party, founded by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Sheinbaum is a member.
Ramírez took office in 2019 and alleged overpricing of up to 300% under the previous administration. A year later, the Mexican press questioned his entertainment and travel expenses, and López Obrador asked IMSS to investigate. In 2020, he requested leave to run for the presidency of Morena.
Kumamoto, who hired Vallejo, became known as an independent figure and later moved closer to Mexico's governing political forces. In November 2025, a column in the newspaper La Jornada questioned his international travel and the organization's operating costs. Payments on the rental debt have been rescheduled through 2030.
