President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described this Friday as “slanderous” and “false” the resolution issued the day before by the European Parliament, which condemns the situation of the press in the country.
“What they maintain is not true, it is completely false,” AMLO said in his usual morning conference. And he assured that he wrote the diplomatic response together with the communication coordinator and government spokesman, Jesus Ramirez Cuevasand not the Secretary of Foreign Relations.
The Parliament of the European Union (EU) asked Mexico this Thursday to ensure “the protection” of journalists and human rights defenders, after the murder of seven reporters so far this year, causing a strong reaction from the government that accused the institution to join a coup strategy against the Fourth Transformation.
After a vote this Thursday, the European Parliament (made up of 705 MEPs from the 27 countries of the European Union) approved a resolution asking the Mexican authorities “to guarantee the protection and creation of a safe environment for journalists and human rights defenders.” human rights”.
The European Chamber stressed that “Mexico has long been the most dangerous and deadly place for journalists outside of a war zone,” and considers that the country has an endemic problem in investigating these crimes, since 95% go unpunished. .
Parliament’s resolution, which is not binding, points to AMLO for using “his rhetoric to denigrate and intimidate journalistsmedia owners and activists”, according to the press release of this institution.
The response from the López Obrador government was angry. “Enough of corruption, lies and hypocrisy,” says the statement, released Thursday night, addressing MEPs.
“It is unfortunate that they join like sheep in the reactionary and coup strategy of the corrupt group that opposes the Fourth Transformation,” he added.
The government argued that in Mexico “freedom of expression and the work of journalists are respected” and dismisses the Parliament’s statement as a “pamphlet.”
“Evolve, leave behind your interventionist mania disguised as good intentions. You are not the world government,” adds the document, which also asks MEPs to inform themselves and “read well” the resolutions before signing them.
He also highlights Mexico’s “pacifist” vocation, in favor of “dialogue, not war.” “We do not send weapons to any country under any circumstances, as you are doing now – in the case of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” the diplomatic note added.
Some 150 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2000, according to Reporters Without Borders. Since 2018, the year López Obrador took office, 47 journalists and 68 human rights activists have been killed.
(With information from AFP)