Calderón, Peña Nieto Must Be Summoned / Dialogue with Governors

Calderón and Peña Nieto must be summoned. President López Obrador said former Presidents Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto should be summoned to court, after Emilio Lozoya involved them in the alleged fraud against PEMEX involving the purchase a fertilizing plant at above-market prices. “Former Presidents Calderón and Peña, the house representative he mentioned and all the senators, also the one who was minister of finance, (Luis) Videgaray. They all must testify,” the president said. Regarding the accusations by the former PEMEX head, who is under house arrest, López Obrador said that everything must be proven first.

Dialogue with governors. President López Obrador said no one is going to fight during the Aug. 19 meeting in San Luis Potosi at the Governors National Conference (CONAGO) to discuss the federal strategy to face the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are not going to fight, otherwise I wouldn’t go. We are going to talk and look for alternatives to the problems,” he said after several state leaders asked for a change in the health contingency plan, arguing it had delivered poor results. “Do not create expectations that a big clash is coming. The agenda is jointly agreed,” the president noted.

Celebrates new food labeling. President López Obrador applauded the new front-label provisions for processed foods and beverages. “It is not just prohibitive, it is a guide so that people have enough information,” he said. In recent days, state governments have been pushing for a ban on selling junk food to minors as a part of a federal effort to fight obesity, one of the main COVID-19 comorbidities in Mexico.

Unsold plane lottery tickets to INSABI. All presidential plane lottery tickets that are not sold will be given to the Institute of Health for Wellbeing (INSABI), President López Obrador said. National Lottery (LOTENAL) head Ernesto Prieto reported that as of Aug. 11, over 2.24 million tickets had been sold, raising MX$1 billion (US$450 million) for the so-called “presidential plane raffle,” which represents 33.73 percent of the total tickets available. The lottery will be held on Sept. 15, awarding 100 prizes of MX$20 million (US$900,000) each.

Satisfied, despite adversities. President López Obrador said that prior to his second State of the Union address he feels satisfied with his results, despite all adversities. “We are going to report on Sept. 1 about everything that we have done to move forward. I feel satisfied despite adversities because the coronavirus did affect us,” he said.

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Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish