Mexico City.- The organization Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI) accused President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of harassment and defamation, as well as violating the right to the protection of personal data, for disseminating information about suppliers, donors and staff who work there.
The group responded to accusations launched this morning by the president and the head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), Pablo Gómez, regarding the origin of its financing and the destination of its spending.
“In addition to violating the right to protection of personal data of MCCI donors, suppliers and staff, the President has once again threatened freedom of expression. MCCI has been harassed and defamed 265 times since the morning press conferences,” she said.
“These attacks are a deliberate attempt to silence critical civil society, to limit independent reporting, investigation and communication, and to financially strangle our institution.”
Regarding Gómez’s statements, he warned that disclosing taxpayers’ tax information is not only an abuse of power, but also a violation of Article 69 of the Federal Tax Code, which establishes that tax authorities have the obligation to maintain absolute confidentiality regarding declarations and data provided by taxpayers.
“Revealing information about our organization seeks to intimidate all those who donate, collaborate or work at MCCI,” he said.
The organization maintained that it is false that it does not disclose its finances, since, like all authorized donors, it is required to submit its transparency declaration every year in accordance with the Income Tax Law, its Regulations and the current Miscellaneous Tax Resolution.
He explained that the declaration includes details of the members, governing body, assets, liabilities, equity, income and the source of the donations.
“Additionally, we have obtained our opinion on compliance with tax obligations every month. We have done so since 2016 and we have never received any observations, even though the previous and current Administrations have subjected our finances to a standard of scrutiny that is not even met in the Government’s public information,” he said.
The group warned that, contrary to what the President of the Republic claims, MCCI’s work has been “attached to its social purpose.”
“This is reflected in more than 1,200 publications that reveal corruption and impunity in our country. It has also fulfilled the objective of proposing alternative solutions to these two problems and promoting the rule of law,” he added.
Regarding the accusations of receiving million-dollar deposits from the United States Government, MCCI explained that, since 2016, it has had authorization from the SAT to receive national and foreign donations in compliance with the law.
“MCCI does not serve the interests of individuals or foreign governments. Our research programs are decided without any external mediation by our governing body. It has never received public funds because its statutes prohibit it,” he said.
He noted that funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) ended in 2023 and has been entirely allocated to research and dissemination tasks as stated in the organization’s articles of incorporation.
“The receipt of resources from international cooperation institutions does not in any way violate national sovereignty or the law.
“On the contrary, and in this particular case, it responds to Chapter 27 of the USMCA, which establishes that measures must be taken to promote the active participation of civil society, non-governmental organizations and community organizations to prevent and combat corruption,” he said.
In response to allegations from the National Palace regarding the participation of some of its founders in opposition campaigns and activities, MCCI asserted that it has never carried out any political-party activity.
“Nor, much less, have we devised, participated in or echoed smear campaigns against the President or any political party. Our mission is not to maintain corruption and privileges as the President says, but to monitor power, regardless of who exercises it,” he said.
The group reiterated that businessman Claudio X González left the organization in June 2020, so he does not participate in decision-making nor is he its legal representative.
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