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Court rejects Sinaloa fertilizer plant for not consulting with indigenous community

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MND Staff
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Protest against the plant in Topolobampo, Sinaloa in 2020.

The Supreme Court (SCJN) has revoked the environmental authorization granted to a US $5 billion fertilizer plant in Sinaloa because the federal Environment Ministry failed to consult the local indigenous community about the project.

A federal government referendum held last November found almost 76% support for the construction of an ammonia and urea plant in Topolobampo, a port town 20 kilometers southwest of Los Mochis. However, work on the project, which began in 2018, has been stalled since March 2019, when a federal judge halted the project due to environmental concerns.

Despite the results of the 2021 federal referendum, the SCJN ruled on Wednesday that the project – the largest ever in Sinaloa in terms of investment – can’t go ahead until the local indigenous community has been consulted.

With the ruling, the court upheld a separate 2021 federal court injunction that ordered that a consultation process with the indigenous residents be carried out before environmental authorization – first granted in 2014 – can be reconsidered. That injuction, issued by a Los Mochis-based federal judge, came in response to an application filed by residents of a fishing community in Ahome, the municipality where the fertilizer plant is to be located.

The company Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente (GPO) – a subsidiary of Swiss-German construction group Proman AG –  is behind the project.

A publicity poster for Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente (GPO) regarding the project. The company rejects claims that it would cause environmental damage. GPO Twitter

Many fishermen have said the operation of the plant would cause irreparable damage to the Santa María, Topolobampo and Ohuira lagoons and restrict the area in which they can work.

Environmental activists say that marine life such as turtles and bottlenose dolphins would be adversely affected, while the head of the federal government’s Natural Protected Areas Commission said in 2019 that having an ammonia plant so close to lagoons protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance “is not possible.”

GPO has rejected claims that the plant’s operation would damage the environment and says that the project will generate 2,500 jobs in its initial stage and benefit farmers in 10 states.

No ammonia or urea is currently produced in Mexico.

The SCJN ruled that a “free and informed” consultation process mustn’t take longer than four months. The Environment Ministry must collaborate with the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples to conduct the consultation in accordance with International Labour Organization protocols.

“It’s not viable to exclude the indigenous community nor deny them their right to express opinions and points of view … with respect to a decision … that has a bearing on their territory and the ecosystems found there,” the SCJN said in its ruling.

A company rendering of what the plant would look like.

The fishermen who filed an injunction request with the Los Mochis federal court live in Lázaro Cárdenas, a community on the opposite side of Ohuira Bay to where GPO wants to build the fertilizer plant. They say there is a risk that natural gas and ammonia will leak from the plant.

The Supreme Court has halted and canceled other projects due to authorities’ failure to consult with indigenous communities. It revoked two mining concessions in Puebla in February because the federal government failed to consult with the local indigenous community before granting them.

With reports from Reforma 

For authentic Mexican handcrafts, don’t miss Uruapan’s April artisan fair

By
Leigh Thelmadatter
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Palm Sunday Handcraft Market, Uruapan, Michoacan
This is only a small percentage of what's typically available at the Palm Sunday Handcraft Market, starting this weekend in Uruapan, Michoacán.

I would venture to guess that many Mexican handcraft aficionados started out like I did, attracted at first by colorful baubles in tourist markets, then wanting to know if what I was buying was “real” or not.

Although it is getting easier to find information about Mexico’s true artisans, it still requires a bit of legwork. Your best bet is to buy direct from one at their workshop (often in their home), but if that is not possible, there are a few highly reputable annual handcraft fairs in Mexico.

With the pandemic easing, I’m glad to say that Michoacan’s Tianguis de Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday Handcraft Market) in the city of Uruapan is back.

Uruapan today is best-known for being in the state’s avocado-growing region, but it hosts what Michoacán officials say is the largest handcraft market of its kind in Latin America. Certainly, it draws over 1,300 artisans per year from all over Michoacán to display their wares for sale.

The focal point of the event is at the city’s main plaza, which annually gets covered in tarps that shelter a maze of aisles and stands. Stalls also spill over into adjoining streets.

annual State Handcraft Fair, Michoacan
Massive pottery items awaiting judging at a previous State Handcraft Fair. This year’s winners will be on display at the Uruapan event.

The event promotes the four main indigenous cultures of the state: the Purépecha, Mazahua, Nahua and Otomi. The Purépecha are best represented, not only because they are the dominant group but also because handcraft production has been highly developed in their region since both the pre-Hispanic and colonial periods.

Pottery is the main draw, followed closely by wood items. You’ll also find traditional clothing, miniatures, jewelry, toys, lacquered items and leather. One other interesting item to find if you go on or before Palm Sunday is the plethora of nimble fingers that weave palm fronds into intricate shapes for the holiday.

The fair does a decent job of keeping out items not made in Michoacán — usually cheap souvenir items; its only small sin is that not all vendors are artisans; some are resellers.

As always, buyer beware, but the overall quality of merchandise here is good.

But the event is more than just a market. The Tianguis begins on the Saturday before Palm Sunday (this year on April 9) with a parade to welcome the participating artisans and a demonstration of Purépecha cooking. This year, that date also features a concert by Lila Downs. All of the days have some kind of event related to food, dress, music, dance and more. You can see a schedule in Spanish here.

I should note that the event has grown tremendously in the past few years, but if you are looking to buy the finest handcrafts the market has to offer, arrive before Palm Sunday (April 10). As with all events of this type, the best stuff sells out almost immediately. However, the handcrafts and cultural events are available all the way until the event ends on April 24, and even just the food is worth the trip.

Purepecha dishes at Uruapan Palm Sunday handcraft fair
In between collecting handcrafts, you can try freshly made indigenous food, like these Purépecha dishes.

I also strongly recommend checking out pieces from the LXI Michoacán State Handcraft fair, whose winners will be announced on April 10 at Uruapan’s Casa de Cultura (cultural center). The chances of buying any of these pieces are low since people with connections usually get to them first. But you will get to see the best of the best and learn who makes them. You can always contact the artisan later to get your own piece made. Many of the artisans are on Facebook.

In addition to everything that the city has to offer, such as the Barranca del Cupatitzio National Park, Uruapan is also near other Michoacán attractions such as the Paricutín volcano (main access is in the town of Angahuan) and the better-known city of Pátzcuaro.

There are, however, a couple of potential drawbacks to attending the fair: firstly, most of the event occurs during Holy Week, a major vacation period for Mexico, and so hotel space may be difficult to find in Uruapan proper. Secondly, this part of Michoacán admittedly has long had problems with narcos. I personally have never run into any issues, but if you are concerned, nearby Pátzcuaro is an easy ride, meaning you can spend your nights there and your days in Uruapan.

The fair brings experienced collectors back year after year, and for newbies, I know of few other places to jump in and be surrounded by the true magic of what Mexico’s hands create.

Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019). Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily.

2 Supreme Court rulings are setbacks for AMLO

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MND Staff
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AMLO
The SCJN declared unconstitutional two aspects of AMLO's signature federal austerity law.

The Supreme Court (SCJN) has dealt President López Obrador two blows in as many days.

The court on Monday revoked a provision in his government’s federal austerity law, approved in 2019, that prevented former high-ranking civil servants from working for a period of 10 years in private companies they regulated or about which they had privileged information.

The SCJN on Tuesday also invalidated Article 61 of the austerity law, which gave López Obrador the authority to use money as he saw fit that was saved by austerity measures his government has implemented. Nine justices voted to revoke Article 61 and two voted to maintain it.

The SCJN determined that the article violated the Chamber of Deputies’ constitutional authority to authorize the federal budget.

Justices voted unanimously in favor of repealing the 10-year ban on ex-civil servants entering the private sector to work for companies they regulated, determining that a prohibition of that length is excessive. Chief Justice Arturo Zaldívar described the ban as “unnecessarily long” and argued that it was too broad.

Mexican Supreme Court Chief Justice Arturo Zaldivar
Chief Justice Arturo Zaldívar described the ban on former civil servants working in companies they regulated as “unnecessarily long.” File photo

“Not all senior management positions have the same responsibilities nor do they present the same degree of risk of corruption,” he said. “The rule is therefore over-inclusive.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling upholds a decision handed down by a federal court, which found in February that the provision that restricts ex-government workers’ employment options is unconstitutional as well as “unfair and excessive.”

The government last year spent 510 billion pesos (US $25.3 billion) above what was budgeted, the newspaper Reforma reported, but it was unclear how much of that spending came from money saved by austerity measures.

Justice Javier Laynez said that article 61 allowed the president to spend money on government subsidies, programs and infrastructure projects that had been rejected by the lower house of Congress. “It’s unconstitutional because it’s a completely open power,” he said.

López Obrador on Tuesday described the Supreme Court’s first ruling as an “aberration.”

“How is it possible to go back to the old ways?” he asked, claiming that it was a “national embarrassment” that former president Ernesto Zedillo joined the board of a railway company shortly after the conclusion of his presidency, during which he privatized Mexico’s rail system.

Felipe Calderon
AMLO said Felipe Calderón, who was on the board of Iberdola subsidiary Avangrid after his presidency, showed why a ban on public servants taking certain private positions is necessary. Internet

López Obrador also cited the case of former president and energy minister Felipe Calderón, who joined the board of a subsidiary of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola after he left office.

In January, López Obrador described various former presidents’ private sector employment as “despicable” and “immoral.”

On Wednesday, López Obrador said that former Pemex directors, Federal Electricity Commission functionaries, energy ministers and Finance Ministry officials were all guilty of conflicts of interest because they took up positions “in banks [and] companies, which benefitted when they occupied public positions.”

The president could suffer another setback at the hands of the SCJN on Thursday, when it is due to rule on the constitutionality of the Electricity Industry Law, which was approved by Congress last year.

With reports from Reforma and Expansión Política 

Proposal before Senate would double employee vacation time

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MND Staff
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mexican senate
Extended vacation times were presented last week in the Senate.

Mexican workers could be enjoying more time off in the future after a proposal to double employee vacation time reached the Senate last week.

Under current legislation, workers have no vacation time in their first year of employment, other than seven mandatory public holidays. They are awarded a minimum six days’ vacation after their first year in a job with two extra days awarded each subsequent year, topping out at 12 days after four years’ service, which is only then increased after another five years of work.

The “Decent Vacations” proposal looks to provide workers with 12 days’ vacation in their first year, half of which would be available after six months. An additional two days would be made available to workers after each extra year worked, topping out at 16 days. The proposal is for a minimum of 10 vacation days in the first year of work.

Presented by the president of the Mexican Association of Human Capital Companies (AMECH) in an open parliament session, the plan also aims to extend the benefit of vacation days to workers who leave their job before completing 12 months, as well as to casual workers.

Héctor Márquez said that informal work is a significant barrier to ensuring workers would benefit. He explained that in Mexico less than a third of the country’s active workers have the right to any vacation time as less than half are formally employed and a small proportion are registered with the Mexican Social Security Institute.

Márquez said that in international terms, Mexicans are behind in terms of vacation benefits. “Mexico, in contrast to other countries, only grants a week of vacation when the average vacation period is four and five [weeks] for a first year of work,” he said.

Márquez said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic 36% of workers expect to receive more vacation time, according to a study by the recruitment company Manpower Group. “The value of rest and time for the family is also different in the post-pandemic era,” he added.

He highlighted that this year in some countries the working day is being reduced and that in other countries the working week is being cut to four days.

The president of the Senate’s Labor Committee, Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, said Mexico is the only country in Latin America that grants less than 10 days of paid vacation per year, compared to countries such as Paraguay (12 days), Costa Rica (14 days), Chile (15 days), Uruguay (20 days) and Brazil (up to 30 days).

Gómez added that the lack of rest time was in spite of workers’ dedication: he said Mexican workers rank second for annual average hours worked among Latin American member nations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The head of the Mexican Employers’ Federation, José Medina Mora, said that many companies were already providing workers more vacation days than were legally required. “In Mexico, companies … have recognized the need for more vacation days and without it being in the law, they are already being granted starting with at least two weeks of vacation, so that employees can have that rest,” he said.

With reports from El Sol de México and Crónica

Some states, municipalities to impose dry law for AMLO’s revocation vote

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MND Staff
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upcoming dry law sign
A store owner warns customers ahead of the upcoming alcohol sales ban.

Mexico City and some states and municipalities are set to impose a temporary dry law (known in Mexico as la ley seca) on the weekend to encourage a high turnout for Sunday’s nationwide referendum on whether President López Obrador should remain in office.

The mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, said no alcohol can be sold in stores in the capital on Saturday afternoon or Sunday but that restaurants would not be affected.

Sheinbaum also called on the public to participate in the vote. “From my perspective, there is a lot of enthusiasm, so I’m calling for the participation of citizens,” she said.

Municipal authorities in León, Guanajuato, and Totolac and Tlaxcala city — the last two located in the state of Tlaxcala — confirmed that there would be a dry law in place from some time on Saturday until late on Sunday.

In the state of Nuevo León, many stores that sell alcohol have put up announcements warning clients about the dry law, and event organizers have announced postponements, despite no official announcement by state or municipal authorities.

AMLO revocation of mandate referendum promotion
A billboard in Aguascalientes promoting turnout for the president’s April 10 revocation of mandate vote.

The governor of Morelos said a decision on imposing the temporary dry law in the state would be made on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the governor of Coahuila and state authorities in Oaxaca said they would wait for an indication from federal authorities as to whether the alcohol sales prohibition should be enforced. State authorities in Yucatán, Chiapas and Baja California Sur were undecided on Wednesday.

In Chihuahua and Sinaloa, state authorities announced that the dry law would not apply.

A voter turnout of 40% is needed to make the result of the referendum binding. However, the president has repeatedly said that even if turnout falls short of 40%, he will still respect the results, meaning that he will leave office if more people vote for that outcome.

López Obrador has also consistently railed against the National Electoral Institute (INE) for not promoting the upcoming vote to his satisfaction and has frequently overlooked the rule of electoral silence which bans any form of campaigning in the buildup to elections or other votes.

Opposition parties have called on the public to abstain from voting. The president said in his morning news conference on Monday that he was confused by the strategy.

Social media users are already expressing displeasure with the upcoming weekend without alcohol sales in parts of Mexico.

 

“If they don’t want me, why don’t they vote against [me]?” he said.

The president added on Monday that participatory democracy was the model he aspired to as a leader. “A good democrat is one who wants to establish democracy as a way of life … who makes democracy a habit,” he said.

With reports from El Universal, Milenio and El Sol de Sinaloa

Parents, supporters block Mexico City ring road in call for justice for slain son

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MND Staff
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Protest in Mexico state
Protesters on a México state section of the capital's Ring Road blocked traffic for 15 hours, seeking justice for Hugo Carbajal's murder on Saturday. Twitter

Mexico City’s Northern Ring Road was blocked for 15 hours on Tuesday in Naucalli, México state, when some 80 protesters demanded justice for the murder of a 15-year-old boy.

Hugo Carbajal was stabbed in the neck with a glass object in an underground nightclub on Saturday night in Jilotzingo, and although state authorities say that they have identified a suspect and issued an arrest warrant, no one has been detained.

In a protest led by the victim’s parents, traffic was stopped near Naucalli park in one direction at about 9 a.m. before being extended to both sides of the ring road at about 4 p.m, affecting some 12 kilometers of road. Some motorists said on social media that they were stuck in traffic for four hours.

Demonstrators relented at around midnight after talking with the México state Attorney General José Luis Cervantes.

Videos show heavy traffic stretching back kilometers while videos of the protesters show cars blocking one side of the road and about 50 mainly young people holding banners and chanting “Justice for Hugo” and “We are all Hugo.”

Supporters in cars and on foot holding banners held up traffic for hours Tuesday.

 

Carbajal’s father, Héctor, a doctor, said his son was killed in a premeditated attack.

“He went to a party last night [Saturday night] and was murdered with malicious intent by a 38-year-old adult. He grabbed him from behind and put a blade in his neck. They had an altercation … the motive for what started the altercation is unknown,” he said.

The newspaper Reforma reported that the man accused of the murder was a security guard at the venue. A video taken in the aftermath of the attack shows Carbajal’s friends trying to save him while the attacker leaves the venue.

Carbajal’s mother, Maureen, told México state Deputy Interior Minister Ricardo de la Cruz that the protest was peaceful, Reforma reported. “We do not want to harm anyone. We just want justice for my son and then we’ll leave,” she said.

De la Cruz replied that there was an active arrest warrant for the suspect.

Hugo Carbajal and mother Maureen Amaro Fernandez
At left, Hugo Carbajal’s family and friends at Hugo’s funeral. At right, Carbajal with his mother Maureen Amaro Fernández in her Facebook profile picture. Maureen Amaro FB.

Governor Alfredo del Mazo was criticized on social media for not releasing a statement about the blockade or the murder after he posted a photo at 2 p.m. at an event celebrating 25 years of Fundación Azteca, the charity owned by the billionaire owner of Grupo Salinas, Ricardo Salinas Pliego.

With reports from Reforma and Proceso

Sightings of vaquita porpoises kindle hope for endangered species’ rescue

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MND Staff
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Navy and Sea Shepherd representatives who are collaborating to rescue the vaquita marina porpoise.
Navy and Sea Shepherd representatives who are collaborating to rescue the vaquita marina porpoise.

A group of scientists sighted at least nine vaquita marina porpoises in the upper Gulf of California in late 2021, leading the chairman of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) to declare that there is still hope for the critically endangered species.

During a five-day period in October and November, scientists on board the Sea Shepherd vessel Sharpie and another boat that belongs to the Whale Museum in La Paz sighted eight mature vaquitas and one or two calves in a 225-square-kilometer no-fishing zone known as the zero tolerance area (ZTA).

Vaquitas, the world’s smallest porpoise species, are endemic to the Gulf of California, where many have died after becoming entangled in nets set to catch totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China and sells for thousands of dollars per kilogram.

Vaquita numbers have declined significantly in recent decades. According to estimates by the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, numbers declined to 254 in 2008 from 567 in 1997. By 2018, estimated numbers had dropped to just 22, while there have been estimates as low as 10 more recently.

In a recent interview with the newspaper Milenio, Sea Shepherd chairman Pritam Singh said there could be more than eight mature vaquitas in the Gulf of California, but that was the number scientists were able to count.

“The good news is that the vaquitas are here and the better news is that these actions that are being taken now are very effective and that’s where the hope comes in,” he said while on board a naval vessel.

The SSCS is collaborating with the Mexican navy to protect the vaquita by assisting the removal of illegal fishing nets inside the ZTA.

“In early January 2022, Sea Shepherd and the Mexican navy began a new reporting and response protocol in the zero tolerance area,” the society said in a statement Tuesday. “… This enhanced protocol has led to a substantial reduction in the number of fishing vessels in the ZTA.”

Singh said that the sighting of eight mature vaquitas and one or two calves didn’t necessarily indicate an increase or decrease in the population of the endangered porpoise. He noted that locating vaquitas within the gulf can be difficult and that sighting efforts can be impeded by poor weather.

Sea Shepherd vessels began vaquita protection patrols in the upper Gulf of California in 2015. However, the organization stopped patrols for a period due to attacks by fishermen. One fisherman died after he was injured in an attack on two SSCS vessels on December 31, 2020.

Sea Shepherd last year reached an agreement with the navy to carry out joint patrols in order to avoid confrontations with vessels fishing illegally for totoaba in the ZTA.

“Right now is the totoaba season and that’s why we’re here in this area,” Octavio Carranza, Sea Shepherd director of ship operations, told Milenio. “The problem is that vaquitas get tangled up in the totoaba nets, … that’s why we’re here 24 hours a day.”

Singh said that through the collaboration with the navy, “we’re improving the vaquitas’ chances of survival.”

“The effectiveness of this plan and the effectiveness of the resources put here has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the threats to the vaquita, which is the time that the nets are in the water and how many nets are in the water,” he said.

The SSCS has removed over 1,000 fishing nets from the upper Gulf of California since 2015, but it is no longer permitted to do so, leaving the navy to do that work.

According to Rear Admiral José Carlos Tinoco Castrejón, 70 illegal fishing nets have been removed this year, while 172 were taken out of the water in 2021.

The navy and other federal authorities, including environmental protection agency Profepa and the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission, also carry out inspections on land to ensure that fishing boats entering the gulf have the required fishing permits.

With reports from Milenio

Transportation law prohibits cell phone use; calls for driver exams, breath tests

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MND Staff
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breath test
The law sets a blood-alcohol limit of 0.05 grams per 100 milliliters. shutterstock

The Senate has approved a new transportation law that prohibits the use of cell phones while driving, makes license exams compulsory and orders the use of breathalyzer tests across the country.

Senators on Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of the changes made to the General Transportation and Road Safety Law (LGMSV) by the lower house of Congress. The new law will take effect after promulgation by President López Obrador.

Citizens Movement party Senator Patricia Mercado, president of the metropolitan zones and transport committee, said the law’s objective is to reduce accidents on the nation’s roads, including those involving pedestrians and cyclists.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children and young people up to the age of 24, she said, highlighting that an average of three children die on the road every day. Mercado said that nine of 10 accidents that cause loss of life are due to excessive speed and/or the use of alcohol.

The law establishes measures across the country to avoid such deaths, the senator said.

The law bans drivers’ use of cell phones and all other electronic devices unless they are being used in hands-free mode, and stipulates that people applying for a driver’s license must pass an exam with theoretical and practical components.

In Mexico City, one of the cities with the highest density of traffic in the world, there is currently no theoretical or practical examination process.

The new law prohibits the use of a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content above 0.05 grams per 100 milliliters and orders ongoing breath tests in all 32 states. Drivers caught with a blood alcohol content above the legally permitted level or under the influence of drugs will lose their license for a minimum of one year, according to the new law.

It also makes the use of seatbelts by all occupants of a vehicle compulsory and stipulates that motorcyclists must wear helmets.

It also proposes maximum speed limits for different kinds of roads: 30 kilometers per hour on side streets, 50 kph on main roads without controlled access, 80 kph on main roads with controlled access, 80 kph on state highways and 110 kph on federal highways.

Buses are limited to 90 kph on federal highways while the maximum for freight vehicles is 80 kph.

National Action Party Senator Xóchitl Gálvez urged state governments to apply the new law within their borders, noting that the changes made to the law will not be of any use without their enforcement at the local level.

With reports from Milenio, El Economista and Reporte Indigo

Mexico slips back into No. 1 position as United States’ chief trading partner

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MND Staff
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Honda plant in Celaya, Guanjuato
Mexico's biggest export to the United States in 2021 was vehicles.

Mexico was the United States’ chief trading partner in the first two months of the year by a fine margin, knocking Canada off the top spot.

Mexico had US $113.19 billion trade with its northern neighbor in January and February, according to the United States Census Bureau, with an $18.4 billion trade surplus in Mexico’s favor.

China and Canada have almost the same value of trade with the U.S. as Mexico.

Fractionally behind Mexico, the second biggest trading partner with the U.S. over the two-month period was China, which had $113.18 billion of trade. Canada was third on $112.93 billion of trade, followed by Japan and Germany which both had less than a third as much trade with the U.S.

Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier celebrated the news on Twitter.

“Today the United States Census Bureau gave us the news that during the first two months of 2022, Mexico was placed as the #1 trading partner of the U.S. with a total trade of $113.19 billion. We will continue to strengthen our productive integration,” she wrote.

Mexico fell to second place in 2021, surpassed by Canada, despite achieving a record trade surplus of $108 billion. Last year, Canada accounted for 14.5% of U.S. international trade, Mexico had 14.4% and China had 14.3%. In November and December, Mexico slipped to become the United States’ third largest trading partner.

However, the countries are far from equal when it comes to their U.S. trade surpluses: China was by far the biggest exporter to the U.S. of the three countries.

Speaking at a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November, President López Obrador said economic integration was “the best instrument to face up to the competition derived from the growth of other regions of the world, particularly the productive and commercial expansion of China.”

He added at the time that the global economic imbalance could lead to eventual conflict. “In another 30 years, by 2051, China will control 42% of the global market and the United States, Mexico and Canada will be left with 12%, which in addition to being an unacceptable disproportion in the economic sphere, would keep alive the temptation of betting on the use of force to resolve this disparity, which would endanger all of us,” the president said, before urging the North American leaders to make the region more economically self-sufficient.

With reports from Milenio

Article 19 accuses government of denying, hiding human rights problems

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MND Staff
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Article 19 regional director Leopoldo Maldonado
Article 19's regional director Leopoldo Maldonado said the administration prefers to deny issues like corruption and violence toward journalists than deal with them.

The federal government’s tendency to deny and hide human rights-related problems worsened last year, according to press freedom advocacy organization Article 19.

The organization said in its 2021 report on freedom of expression, access to information and respect of human rights in Mexico that the government’s tendency to deny and obfuscate in its official discourse had gained strength.

The report — entitled Negación (Denial) — asserted that the government refuses to acknowledge problems such as violence, corruption and impunity and in doing so “deepens” those problems.

In a press release and at the presentation of the report in Mexico City by regional director Leopoldo Maldonado, Article 19 posited that the denial of human rights-related problems is the mechanism the government uses to discredit critical discourse against it and amounts to official disinformation.

The government’s assertions and data – primarily presented at President López Obrador’s weekday press conferences – are difficult to confirm, Maldonado said.

He also said that the government’s official discourse stigmatizes the press and provokes violence against media workers, as well as other negative consequences. The press freedom organization’s report said that the news media was stigmatized by López Obrador and other government officials at least 71 times at the president’s conferences last year.

It also noted that seven journalists were murdered in 2021 and that there were 644 attacks against members of the press motivated by their journalistic work.

In its press release, Article 19 said there were 1,945 attacks against members of the press in the first three years of López Obrador’s administration, including 30 murders and two abductions.

In the same period of former president Enrique Nieto’s six-year term, there were 1,053 attacks and 15 murders of journalists, the organization said, noting that attacks increased almost 85% under López Obrador’s administration.

The 2019–21 period was Mexico’s worst ever three-year period for violence against the media, Article 19 said.

The organization made 36 urgent recommendations to the government with respect to freedom of speech and freedom of information issues. Among them: combat impunity for attacks on members of the press and eliminate legal restrictions on freedom of speech.

Mexico News Daily 

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