Ayotzinapa Student / Poverty

Ayotzinapa Student. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stressed that there was abuse of authority in Ayotzinapa, as a student was killed without any justification.  Previously, the police had said that one of the students opened fire, but all the expert reports have shown that this is not the case.

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.

Minimum Wage, Poverty Rates. The president emphasized that his government has improved social equality the most by raising the minimum wage and lowering poverty.

In 2023, the National Minimum Wage Commission (CONASAMI), composed by the government, business groups and unions, has agreed to a minimum wage increase of 20% in 2024. Throughout López Obrador’s administration, the minimum wage has increased from MX$88 (US$5.13) to MX$249, totaling MX$7,508 per month. At the border, the minimum wage will rise to MX$375, resulting in MX$11,403 per month. Rogelio Gómez Hermosillo, Coordinator of Acción Ciudadana Frente a la Pobreza, stated that improving wages reduces poverty. According to the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL), the percentage of Mexicans living in poverty decreased from 41.9% in 2018 to 36.3% in 2022. 

Drug Cartels. López Obrador again accused the New York Times of wanting to make his government look bad. Recently, the New York Times reported that US authorities conducted an investigation into allegations of individuals closely related to President López Obrador and their connections to the Sinaloa and Zetas drug cartels. According to The New York Times, the United States concluded the investigation as it had the potential to start a diplomatic conflict with Mexico. In his morning conference, President López Obrador criticized The New York Times and journalist Natalie Kitroeff, before leaking her personal information.