Avocado Imports Ban / Ayotzinapa

Avocado Imports Ban. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced that the exportation of avocados from Michoacan to the United States is returning to normal. "Today, the US Ambassador Ken Salazar will be in Michoacan, and the issue will be resolved. We have good relations with the United States," he stated.

The United States decided to halt imports following incidents where US Department of Agriculture inspectors were threatened by alleged farmers in Michoacan. In response, President López Obrador instructed Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Bárcena to meet with the US ambassador to negotiate an agreement.

Ayotzinapa. The president rejected claims that he has proof that the armed forces were responsible for the disappearance of the 43 students from Ayotzinapa. "There is nothing to hide. If it is proven that the Army was involved, we will take action. However, as of today, I have no proof that it was the Army."

In 2014, during former President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration, 43 students disappeared in Iguala, Guerrero. The government reported they were murdered by the United Warriors Cartel in Cocula. However, information showed that the Iguala police and army handed over the students to the criminal group. The Truth Commission of the Ayotzinapa case reported that there was an infiltrated soldier among the students, but former Army General Salvador Cienfuegos assured that the army was not involved. Since then, numerous protests have been held to demand accountability.

National Guard. López Obrador applauded Claudia Sheinbaum's support for transferring the National Guard to the Ministry of Defense, as this move will ensure the force remains free from corruption.

In October 2022, the Chamber of Deputies approved a constitutional reform with 339 votes in favor, 155 against, and two abstentions, making the National Guard operationally and administratively dependent on SEDENA. Opposition parties have accused López Obrador's government of militarizing the country. In November 2022, Judge Karla María Macías, of the Ninth District Court of the State of Guanajuato, suspended the military reform on the grounds of its impact on the country's security and potential violations to human rights. Although the suspension was revoked, Macias issued a new resolution to suspend it definitively.