President López Obrador on Friday once again attacked the government of Chihuahua over its opposition to sending more water to the United States but stressed that his government would not abandon the people of the northern state.

Speaking at an event in Ciudad Juárez, the president accused the Chihuahua government and Governor Javier Corral of putting the interests of the National Action Party ahead of those of the nation.

Corral maintains that Chihuahua is complying with its commitment to send water to the United States as required under the terms of a 1944 bilateral treaty but the federal government disagrees.

López Obrador has accused politicians with the National Action Party, which is in office in Chihuahua, of protecting water in the northern border state for their own business interests and being behind frequent protests against the diversion of water to the United States.

He said today that regardless of the differences his administration has with Chihuahua authorities it will always support the people.

“Don’t misinterpret things, we’re not going to abandon the people of Chihuahua,” he told attendees at an urban development event.

“We don’t have differences with the people of Chihuahua, we have differences with the behavior of the authorities who are putting partisan interests first and they forget that before personal interests, group interests and party interests, as legitimate as they might be, is the general interest, the interest of the nation,” López Obrador said.

The Chihuahua government’s opposition to Mexico complying with its water obligations to the United States is “irresponsible” and “opportunistic,” he charged.

“Of the northern states, all of them contributed … the volume of water they have to deliver to the United States. We’re just missing Chihuahua’s contribution. In a very opportunistic and irresponsible way they [the Chihuahua authorities] became nationalistic and they don’t want to deliver the water, placing the country in a difficult position,” López Obrador said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote to United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month to urge him to ensure enforcement of the 1944 treaty.

Earlier on Friday, protesters angry about the death of a farmer’s wife at a water protest last month greeted López Obrador upon his arrival at the Ciudad Juárez airport.

One of the protesters’ signs read, “We demand justice for Yéssica. A farmer who was murdered by the National Guard.”

Another labeled López Obrador a murderer and rejected any claim that the protesting farmers were criminals.

Source: Reforma (sp)