Historic Agreement with UN / No Mask Until Corruption Ends

Agreement with UN for medicine, equipment supply. Mexico’s government signed an agreement with the UN’s Project Services Office (UNOPS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the consolidated purchasing of medicines, vaccines and medical equipment abroad. Minister of Health Jorge Alcocer said the goal is to let the UN office guide and provide technical assistance on tenders to INSABI to secure the best market conditions. “The national industry will not be excluded from the bidding processes,” Alcocer said but highlighted that only those that meet the highest levels of quality and honesty will be included.

Historic agreement, says Ebrard of UN deal. Minister of Foreign Affairs (SRE) Marcelo Ebrard praised the deal with the UN as a historic agreement. “It is the first time in history that an international agency has been commissioned for a tender of this nature,” he said. Ebrard said the deal secures the supply of everything the country will need in 2021 and until 2024. After leading the signing ceremony in today’s daily briefing, President López Obrador noted that Mexico has a long history of supply problems and that this agreement was a step toward finding a final solution.

No mask use until corruption ends. President López Obrador said he will only use a mask when there is no corruption in the country. “Do you want to know when I’ll put on a mask? When there is no corruption anymore, then I will put on my mask,” he said after PAN legislators announced a legal process against him to force him to use a face mask. “So, we have that agreement,” he said.

Explains US$200 million offer. President López Obrador said that Grupo Villacero head Julio Villarreal did offer to return the US$200 million related to the Agronitrogenados plant that was purchased by PEMEX at above market price, despite the company’s denial. López Obrador explained that getting the money back would be “kind of like damage reparations” and also could help those involved in legal process related to it. PEMEX purchased the fertilizing plant late in 2013 from AMHSA, a Mexican steel company put on sale after its owner was arrested in Spain last year.   

Money to be recovered in García Luna case. President López Obrador said the extradition to Mexico of former Minister of Public Security Genaro García Luna is important because there is money to be recovered. “Yesterday, it was announced in the US that two close aides to Mr. García Luna are being prosecuted or indicted,” he said.

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Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish