After President Claudia Sheinbaum’s comprehensive telecoms reform proposal prompted criticism from industry representatives and opposition politicians, she offered to modify the controversial section of the bill at her Friday morning press conference, or mañanera.
Sheinbaum insisted the objective of the legislation is not censorship, nor to exercise control over digital platforms.
She also deplored the murder of a member of a Jalisco search collective that uncovered a so-called extermination camp an hour outside of the state capital of Guadalajara.
Clarifying controversial telecoms reform
Critics of Sheinbaum’s telecoms bill have labeled it authoritarian, arguing that granting a government agency power to cancel media concessions for vaguely defined reasons is ominous.
The president said that her intention was neither to censor media content nor to infringe on freedom of expression, but she acknowledged that critics’ arguments have merit.
“The article in question must be modified for clarity or it should be eliminated,” Sheinbaum said, adding that it does create confusion and could be interpreted as opening the door to censorship.
“It should be amended so as to be absolutely clear that the government … will not censor anyone, much less digital platforms,” she said.
Sheinbaum emphasized that her objective was three-fold: prevent foreign governments from transmitting political or ideological propaganda in Mexico; restore and define regulatory attributes for the newly created Digital Transformation and Telecoms Agency (ATDT); and, create a new anti-monopoly agency.
The president suggested that her Chief Counsel Ernestina Godoy and ATDT Director José Merino could meet with senators to rectify the situation before a final vote.
Sheinbaum calls for thorough investigation of activist’s murder
María del Carmen Morales and her son Jaime Daniel Ramírez were murdered on Thursday in Jalisco. Morales — a member of the search collective Warrior Searchers of Jalisco — has been looking for her son Ernesto Ramírez since he disappeared in February 2024.
Sheinbaum called the murders “very regrettable” and urged Jalisco authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
“There should be no thought of dismissing this case as being unrelated to her work [with the search collective]. That must be clear,” she said.
Friends and fellow members of the Warrior Searchers asked in a public statement that the federal government take charge of the case, but the president demurred.
“We will keep an eye on the progress of the investigation,” she said. “We must get to the bottom of this.”
An official with the National Human Rights Commission has been in touch with the family, Sheinbaum said.
Video message from Pope Francis shared
Overcoming doubts about sharing a religious-themed video from the seat of secular power, Sheinbaum shared a previously unpublished video message to Mexicans from Pope Francis.
In the video, the Catholic pontiff — who passed away on Monday — said Mexicans had the great fortune to have been blessed by the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Francis mentioned that he had visited Mexico twice — only once as pope — and that his fondest memory was sitting mesmerized in front of the iconic image imprinted on a campesino’s cloak in 1529.
“I lost track of time; they had to ask me to leave,” he said, urging Mexicans to appeal to the Virgin, to remain faithful to her. “They tell me that all Mexicans are Guadalupanos, even those that do not believe in God. Continue to be Guadalupanos and God bless you.”
The president, who is “not religiously observant” and identifies as culturally Jewish, said she decided to share the video because it demonstrates the pope’s affection for Mexicans and its final message is beautiful.
“I had my doubts because of its religious content but the last part is very nice, particularly for Catholics,” she said. About 78% percent of Mexicans — roughly 98 million people — identify as Catholic.
Sheinbaum did not say when the video had been sent to Mexico, only saying that “someone sent it to me.”
With reports from El Universal, El Financiero and Excelsior
