President López Obrador said today his predecessors were either accomplices to corruption or they turned a blind eye — “there’s no way [they] didn’t know.”

“I’ve said it before, that all the juicy business done in the country, deals of corruption, were greenlighted by the president. To state it clearly, it’s not that they ‘didn’t know’ or ‘the president had good intentions but he was deceived’ — it’s a lie,” the president told his daily press conference.

He also said that if Mexicans demand punishment for the acts of corruption committed by his predecessors, his administration will act accordingly.

Such an action would  “aim high” and not at lower-level public workers.

In the past, he charged, scapegoats were used to “simulate a fight against this crime.”

“Corruption [starts] from the top down and [ex-presidents] shielded behind scapegoats . . . and the president was protected and unpunished,” López Obrador said.

“If we are going to open the files, let’s go all the way to the top,” he continued before checking off the names of his predecessors: Carlos Salinas, Ernesto Zedillo, Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto.

Ex-president Fox did not take long to offer a reply, calling on the president to present proof.

“AMLO is defaming many people. I challenge him to present proof . . . and if he does not to be quiet.”

Fox declared he was not involved in any act of corruption during his time in the public service. “Back then we didn’t even know the term ‘huachicol [fuel theft].”

Source: El Financiero (sp)