AMLO to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine/ Tensions with US

Reconciliation plan with the Yaquis. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that the government is reviewing landowner agreements in Sonora as it aims to return resources such as water and land to the Yaquis indigenous group. "We are reviewing all the lands to see how much was taken. Ejidos are social properties that were established long ago and must be respected. We are not going to expropriate land; what we are planning is to build an aqueduct to improve their access to water,” said López Obrador. In addition, López Obrador assured that nothing will be done without the prior approval of the group’s traditional authorities. "What we seek is to apologize for what the Mexican state did against the indigenous peoples and to implement a series of actions to bring justice to the Yaquis," added López Obrador.

AMLO says government is not hiding the real impact of COVID-19 in Mexico. López Obrador denied that his government is hiding the real numbers of  contagions and deaths from COVID-19 and assured that the Ministry of Health has reported everything. "We have done everything we have been able to do. I would say that there has been a total delivery of data. We have acted not only as good public servants, but with a good heart," added López Obrador. He said that there are many opponents who want to create a bad image of the government and, as a result, there is a major moral crisis that must also be addressed.

AMLO will receive the COVID-19 vaccine next week. López Obrador announced that, after undergoing an antibody study, his doctors have recommended that he get vaccinated, which he plans to do next week. “I'm going to get vaccinated next week. I will not tell you where, because I do not want a show to be made. I will just go to the place where I am supposed to be vaccinated according to the national plan,” López Obrador said.

US presents a report on human rights in Mexico. López Obrador criticized the US after its State Department published yesterday the 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Mexico, in which it detailed Mexico’s situation in terms of human rights and indicated that there is a high level of impunity and very low prosecution rates for all crimes. López Obrador said that Mexico is very respectful by not intervening in the internal affairs of other countries and consequently, he questioned the actions of the US. "We do not get involved in opinions about human rights violations in the US, we are respectful. We cannot have an opinion about what happens in another country, so why does the US government have an opinion on issues that only Mexicans can comment on?" López Obrador asked.

Negotiations continue to resume traffic on the US-Mexico border. López Obrador said that negotiations with the US to reopen the border continue to advance and emphasized that both governments have maintained constant communication to achieve a flow similar to that before the pandemic. “The agreements are advancing, (Minister of Foreign Affairs) Marcelo Ebrard has a permanent communication channel with the US secretary of state, to normalize the economic relationship as soon as possible. There are also advances in the immigration agreement. We are doing well since relations with the US government are good,” said López Obrador. In April 2020, both governments agreed to reduce border traffic, with the aim of reducing the impact of the pandemic, and as a result, land crossings are restricted unless they have commercial permits.

Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish