No More Questions Mr. President/Cheaper Elections

INE expenses. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that the National Electoral Institute (INE) will seek to reduce unnecessary expenses to lower the cost of elections while guaranteeing that they are “clean, free and that there is no electoral fraud.” He added that he would send a proposal to reform INE and the Electoral Court of the Judicial Power of the Federation (TEPJF).

Journalists strike. The reporters covering the president’s daily news conference informed López Obrador that they would no longer ask him questions during the session to protest the murders of Mexican journalists. López Obrador said he agreed with their protest. “I agree with what you say, that we have to demonstrate. It is our responsibility to take care of the lives of all journalists and all Mexicans. The only thing that should be considered is that we do not annihilate anyone, the state is no longer the violator par excellence of human rights. If there is evidence, it is punished. But there is no intention, it is not even in our thoughts (to violate human rights).”

Since 2000, 150 murders of journalists have been documented in Mexico, possibly related to their work. Of the total, 138 are men and 12 are women. Of these, 47 were registered during the previous term of President Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018) and 30 during López Obrador administration (2018-2024).

Media in Spain. Commenting on a regional election in Spain won by a far-right party, López Obrador said that the media in that country are on the side of the “extreme right.” He compared the situation of the Spanish media with that of Mexico, saying that “in our country, fortunately, even with all this buying of  ‘bots’ on social networks, we already have a way to respond. Before there was no possibility (to do so).”

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Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish