Wednesday, April 2, 2025

AMLO laments US silence on complaint about funding ‘adversaries’

President López Obrador said Monday that the federal government has not received a response to its request that the United States stop funding what he says are political groups opposed to his administration.

The government sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. earlier this month, asking it to explain why it has provided funding to Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI), a civil society organization that has been critical of López Obrador and his administration.

The president has also railed against the United States government’s funding of press-freedom group Article 19, which has also criticized him.

Speaking at his news conference on Monday, López Obrador said, “They’re not parties, but they are lobby groups or organizations that participate in politics, as is currently being done. … It’s improper that the United States government gives money to these organizations, even more so in electoral times. … It’s interference in the public life of our country,” he said.

“It’s very regrettable that the United States government hasn’t taken our request seriously. For that reason, we’re going to keep on respectfully insisting that it no longer finance political groups in Mexico, and the best thing would be that it didn’t intervene to finance any political group in any country in the world.”

María Amparo, right, is the head of Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity. On her left is the head of another similar NGO, Transparency Mexico.

Despite that remark, López Obrador said he wouldn’t raise the issue with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is scheduled to visit Mexico next week to discuss ways to stem migration from Central America.

“There’s another agenda [for the meeting with Harris]. This [funding issue] has to do with the Department of State, with the embassy, because it’s the United States Embassy that distributes the money,” López Obrador said. “… This mustn’t be done. … It’s not related to the good foreign policy, the cooperation between the people [of Mexico and the United States], the friendly [bilateral] relations …”

The president also said that if organizations such as MCCI and Article 19 had any scruples, they would reject funding from a foreign government. “They claim that they’re not playing politics when it’s public knowledge that they are. It’s not necessary to present evidence; they are completely devoted to campaigning against us,” he said.

Source: Reforma (sp), Milenio (sp) 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Los Alegres de Barranco band poses with instruments and cowboy hats

US revokes visas of Mexican band who paid homage to cartel boss ‘El Mencho’

5
The band Los Alegres del Barranco is at the center of a heated controversy after paying tribute to notorious drug lord Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes during a recent concert.
Kristi Noem and President Trump

Homeland Security Secretary outlines Trump’s ‘wishlist’ for Mexico to sidestep tariffs

19
The list of requests was presented to President Sheinbaum by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who suggested Mexico may still be able to avoid tariffs before Wednesday.
A stack of tortillas with a hand at the top, pulling a couple of tortillas off the stack.

UNAM designs a ‘supertortilla’ to fight malnutrition in Mexico

7
According to federal data, over 18% of Mexicans lack access to quality nutritional food, while obesity and diabetes are prevalent in Mexico.