The president of corporate conglomerate Grupo Salinas has declared that Mexicans will die of hunger rather than coronavirus if the government orders a lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19.

After calling for support for President López Obrador – who just days ago urged Mexicans not to stop going out and supporting local businesses – Ricardo Salinas Pliego said that “bringing the economy to a halt” would cause large numbers of people to go hungry because they feed themselves and their families with their daily earnings.

“We won’t die from coronavirus but from hunger,” he said in a meeting with directors of Grupo Salinas companies, among which are TV Azteca and financial and retail firm Elektra.

“In Mexico, the vast majority don’t live on a salary, they don’t live from their savings nor from the government; the vast majority live day to day. … If the majority of the population stops earning income today, they simply won’t have anything to eat tomorrow,” Salinas said.

The businessman also said that a lockdown would trigger “crime” and “chaos,” as has already been seen in México state and Oaxaca with the looting of supermarkets by large groups of people.

Salinas went on to say that it is a shame that the streets, schools and parks are empty and that businesses are closed.

“This cannot be,” he said, adding that while Covid-19 is “very contagious,” it’s not particularly dangerous.

“You get it, you recover and you develop immunity. … It affects old people more and those who have existing health problems. Without a doubt this virus exists but it’s not highly lethal. We must forget this incorrect comparison that the virus equals death, it’s not true.”

Source: El Universal (sp)