The United States’ efforts to stop gun smuggling to Mexico and the Mexican government’s controversial telecommunications law proposal were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Tuesday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s May 6 mañanera.
Sheinbaum acknowledges US efforts to stop gun smuggling to Mexico
Sheinbaum told reporters that U.S. President Donald Trump has asked her on several occasions how the United States can help Mexico in the fight against organized crime.
She said she has stressed to the U.S. president “the importance of attending to fentanyl use” in the United States “as a public health problem.”
Sheinbaum also noted that she has asked Trump to crack down on the smuggling of firearms from the United States to Mexico, where the weapons often end up in the hands of powerful drug cartels that use them to commit crimes including murder.
She then described as “historic” a recent statement released by the United States government declaring what she called a new “mano dura” (heavy hand or iron fist) approach to gun smuggling from the U.S. to Mexico.
Sheinbaum was apparently referring to a press release issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) last Friday after a press conference at which U.S. authorities “announced significant achievement in the interdiction of weapons and ammunition, investigation and prosecution of weapons traffickers.”
Among the U.S. officials quoted in the release were Guadalupe Ramírez, a CBP field operations director, and Timothy Courchaine, a United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.
“Our frontline CBP officers and agents continue to serve as the tip of the spear and their dedicated efforts through a series of operations … contributed to the successful interdiction of a substantial amount of weapons and ammunition this year,” said Ramírez.
“The designation of the major Mexico [sic] drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations will ensure long, terrorism-enhanced sentences for those arrested and convicted pursuant to these interdiction efforts,” she said.
Courchaine said: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office stands ready to support our law enforcement partners and prosecute weapons trafficking cases, especially those that support Foreign Terrorist Organizations engaged in violent activity throughout Mexico and other countries.”
The ‘essence’ of the proposed telecommunications law won’t change, says Sheinbaum
Sheinbaum noted that an “open parliament” process will be carried out to allow people to express views about the federal government’s proposed changes to the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law.
The president presented a reform bill to Congress last month, but after it was approved by Senate committees, the executive board of the upper house withdrew the proposed legislation on the advice of Sheinbaum, who advocated dialogue with stakeholders and modifications to the bill.
Opposition lawmakers claimed that the original legislation promoted censorship as digital content platforms such as Facebook would be prohibited from publishing in Mexico any advertising or propaganda financed by a foreign government, except for cultural or touristic information.
Senate pauses problematic telecommunications reform amid censorship fears
Sheinbaum has countered that “the government of Mexico is not going to censor anyone, especially not what is published on digital platforms.”
On Tuesday, the president said the government is reviewing some suggestions with regard to potential changes to the telecoms law.
She said the “essence” of the proposed law she submitted to Congress last month won’t change, but reiterated that no modifications that “restrict freedom of speech” will be made.
Her original reform bill aimed to achieve a range of things beyond banning foreign government advertising and propaganda, including a bridging of the nation’s persistent digital divide.
‘A little song’ encourages Mexicans to vote on June 1
Sheinbaum told reporters that “una cancioncita de promoción,” or “a little promotional song,” has been created to encourage citizens to vote in Mexico’s first ever judicial elections on June 1.
After she noted that the elections are just 25 days away and declared that it is important that people familiarize themselves with the candidates and vote, the song (sung by an undisclosed singer) was played at the president’s mañanera.
“¡Que se escuche fuerte en todo México!” (Let it be heard loudly throughout Mexico!) begins the “cancioncita.”
The rest of the lyrics, translated to English, appear below.
The first of June, the first of June, justice is calling us. You have to be there.
The first of June, the first of June, let’s vote for a new judiciary.
It’s a historic election, you can’t miss out. Mexico is more and more democratic, let’s participate.
Honest and without corruption, that’s what we’re going to achieve, a judiciary of the people that really knows how to adjudicate.
Close to the people, capable and transparent.
Justice for everyone, not just the usual people!
Before the song had even finished, Sheinbaum offered a presidential endorsement of the ditty.
“It’s good, isn’t it,” she said.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])
