Coordination with Guanajuato Settled / Bribery in Energy Reform

Better coordination with Guanajuato. President López Obrador said that instead of blaming each other, both Guanajuato and the federal government would work together to improve coordination and rein in violence in the state. “We are seeking to improve our coordination. The governor has decided to participate in the joint strategy,” the president said during the morning briefing in Irapuato. Guanajuato Gov. Diego Sinhue Rodríguez reversed his initial decision to skip federal security meetings and committed to working closer with the federal administration. “Beyond differences that we may have, there is a greater good, which is to bring peace to the people of Guanajuato,” Sinhue said.

Bribes in Energy Reform vote. Votes obtained for the Energy Reform’s approval were the result of bribes, President López Obrador said. While addressing Emilio Lozoya's extradition to Mexico, the president said the former PEMEX head promised to report on how corruption worked behind one of the main initiatives of President Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration. “There are reports of bribes in the voting for the Energy Reform. It’s good that Mr. Lozoya has promised to discuss this situation,” he said. The president said he had no names of participants in the alleged scheme since the investigation remains open.

Reports on COVID-19. President López Obrador called on the people to continue taking care of themselves in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked them not to lose hope. “Hope is a very powerful force, we cannot lose hope, no one can take that right away from us,” he said. The president said only nine states are reporting an increase in infections and that there was “a kind of rebound of the virus in Yucatan and Quintana Roo,” so additional hospital capacity is being prepared in those states.

Low-cost visit to US. President López Obrador said that spending during his recent visit to the US was minimized. “It was not necessary to spend many resources, they treated us very well,” he said, referring to a comparison between the costs of using the former presidential plane, moving big entourages and staying in expensive hotels, or using commercial flights and accepting support provided by the US government.  “We are going to report on the cost of the trip. It was austere,” he said.

-----

Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish