In Mexico there are few times that, when reading the news, we find out about good news or simply about moderate topics. In our country, listening to corruption and disasters is almost a daily occurrence. Still, over the past few weeks, events in the country have reached a new level of infamy and scandal. Just by telling them that the president, his son, Pemex, journalist Carlos Loret and freedom of expression are involved and we can get an idea of the complexity of the matter. Certainly, what has happened in recent weeks is a reflection of the modus operandi of the president and his government; of what he has done and what he is willing to do. The events of the last few weeks appear to be acts in a play that increasingly resembles a tragedy. I explain.
In the first act, we have one more scandal that came to light. A few weeks ago, Carlos Loret de Mola, Latinus and Mexicans Against Corruption published an investigation that indicated that José Ramón López, son of the president, has lived in two mansions in Houston in recent years. The report indicated a possible conflict of interest, since one of the houses belonged to an executive of Baker Hughes, an oil company that has contracts with Pemex. The investigation did not please the president at all, who sought to dismiss the investigations by disqualifying the media and, above all, the journalist Carlos Loret de Mola. Thus, the president presented in the morning a comparison of his salary with the supposed salary of the journalist, alleging that Loret earns 15 times more than him. In addition, the president said that he would ask the SAT to review the journalist’s fiscal data.
We pass to the second act, to the height of the conflict. Here, we analyze the consequences of what happened: what the president did is very serious; In addition to violating various laws and the Constitution, by revealing the personal data of others, the president is showing that he will not hesitate to use the full weight of the State to intimidate critical journalism and hide the corruption of the government from him. Since he cannot explain how much his son earns and who paid for the houses, he then talks about Loret’s income.
In addition, it is important to consider that the intimidation of the president occurs at a very sensitive moment for the Mexican press. In just the seven weeks of 2022, six journalists have been killed. In this context, the president’s actions only legitimize the intimidation of journalism and aggravate the problem.
We may or may not agree with Loret de Mola’s journalism; however, we cannot allow an official – and least of all the president – to attack a journalist in this way.
We come to the third act, to today: after contemplating the current scenario, one may wonder if we can do something as citizens. And yes, we can: In the last few days alone, more than 60,000 people connected to a Twitter Spaces to express their concerns about the president’s actions and to advocate for free expression.
The third act, the last in the work of the near future of Mexico, is one that depends on all of us: civil society, the private sector, the young and old citizen. It depends on our keeping criticism of abuses of power and authority in public discussion.
Democracy in Mexico is hanging by an increasingly fine thread: proof of this is the democratic index of The Economist, in which Mexico fell from the category “defective democracy” to that of a hybrid regime”, a mix between democracy and authoritarianism .
Read more: Will they sue the president for violating the Constitution?
The international press knows it, critical journalists know it; they know that abuse of authority and open intimidation cannot go unpunished. All we need is for all Mexicans to recognize it and act to remedy it. What will the work be called? What will the near future of our country look like? It is in our hands to decide.
#work #called