Mexico-U.S. Relations/Journalists Under Threat

Insecurity in Jalisco. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that there is the problem of insecurity in Jalisco, “We are working on the case of Jalisco; it is notorious for problems of insecurity and violence; we are maintaining the presence of the Secretary of the Navy, the Army, and the National Guard.” Part of the strategy is to build barracks for the National Guard in different regions. In addition, there will be a program to search for those who have disappeared. “What we have to do is to apply ourselves more, all of us, not only the state government but also the federal government, to guarantee peace and tranquility in Jalisco, which the citizens deserve. We will continue working with that purpose,” López Obrador said.

Fake news journalists. Ana Elizabeth García Vilchis, who is in charge of the Who is Who in Fake News segment of the López Obrador’s daily briefing, said that the government is seeking to guarantee the protection of journalists who see their rights violated. “From this space, we stand in solidarity with journalists threatened by organized crime; the government of Mexico is committed to freedom and the right to information. Measures are being taken to protect journalists who are at risk as a result of the exercise of your profession.” These measures are being taken after a video threatening the Millennium Group and Azucena Uresti went viral.

Meeting with the U.S. López Obrador said that the meeting that was held yesterday with US officials was beneficial for both governments since agreements were reached on migration, economy and development issues. “It is seeking to have a joint, comprehensive plan that includes the economic growth of North America. I have made an approach in that sense of how to strengthen North America and all of America in the face of the economic and commercial growth of Asia, how to complement the countries, respecting the sovereignty of each nation. That was the theme.” During the meeting, the two sides also discussed the opening of the border for non-essential activities in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, to which the US officials agreed; however, López Obrador said that the issue is still being analyzed due to the increase in infections related to the Delta variant. Finally, the president announced that he extended an invitation to Joe Biden to visit Mexico in September.

Presidency debt. López Obrador said that during his administration, public debt would grow less than in other six-year terms and proposed using resources from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pay it in advance. “I intend that the debt in our government increases less in quantitative and in real terms than the increase seen during the governments of Felipe Calderón and Peña Nieto. I have it very clear.” He emphasized that his government is not going to put the country into debt since a different economic policy is being implemented. “All these so-called structural reforms were applied in Mexico on the recommendation of the IMF and other foreign organizations, and they were applied in different countries and led to the ruin of the countries. It was a resounding failure but the most incredible thing is that there are still governments that pay attention and that they too do not change their attitude.”

-----

Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish