translated from Spanish: ‘We will defeat the coronavirus and Mexico will stand’: AMLO

As part of his “report to the people of Mexico”, 100 days after the second year of government, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador presented an emerging plan to revive the economy to address the crisis due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
In less than an hour of speech he outlined a series of actions that were mostly already ongoing as part of his social policy, with direct delivery programs for older adults, youth and credits.
He reiterated that this year his administration’s major infrastructure works will continue, such as the Dos Bocas refinery, the Maya Train and Felipe Angeles Airport and listed advances in his government. He said the incidence of crime had subsided, said that corruption was no longer allowed, that torture was eradicated and that culture has been promoted.
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In the courtyard of Palacio Nacional, without guests and only with cameramen and photographers at the end, due to the measures of healthy distance to avoid the spread of COVID-19, he exposed the actions announced in the face of the crisis that, he said, will be “passing”.
“This crisis is transient. Normality will soon return, we will defeat the coronavirus, we will revive the economy and Mexico will stand, show the world its glory and greatness,” he said from the podium that he only had one stand and an empty chair on his side.
As part of the reaction to coronavirus contagion is the advance delivery of support to older adults because “the neediest, the poorest, the most vulnerable to the epidemic are supported,” the president said.
Among the social programs that already existed and that it included as part of the coVID-19 programme are Sowing Life that gives permanent employment to 230 thousand sowers, and will be expanded to 200 thousand more peasants, with the aim of having work immediately.
In addition to the 356 thousand credits to small family businesses with the Tandas for Welfare program delivered so far, 450 thousand more rounds will be added in the remainder of the year.
The poor producers of Puebla, Morelos, Tlaxcala and the State of Mexico will join those of Guerrero as beneficiaries of free fertilizers, a strategy that has been operating since 2019.
He also mentioned the La Escuela es Nuestra program, which he unveiled last year, in which they will directly turn over resources to parent associations to improve infrastructure in schools. He reported that resources will be provided for 31,000 school campuses this year. While among the new beneficiaries is the delivery of supports is direct support for 190 thousand fishermen.
Among the economic announcements in the face of the crisis is the granting of 2 million 100 thousand personal housing and small business loans in the formal and informal sector. He also promised the creation of 2 million new jobs in nine months.
He pledged not to raise taxes and new ones will not be created and “the commitment to return VAT to taxpayers will be fully fulfilled, as requested by representatives of the business sector.”
This year they will invest an additional 25 billion pesos for the introduction of drinking water, drainage, pavement, and the construction and improvement of 50 thousand homes in marginalized areas of 50 municipalities of the country. This, he said, “will allow us to create 228,000 direct jobs at the same time.”
There will be a fund of 35 billion ISSSTE pesos for personal loans of 20 thousand to 56 thousand pesos per credit, which could benefit 670 thousand workers. While FOVISSSTE and Infonavit will allocate 177 billion pesos to provide housing credits these nine months, for the benefit of 442,500 workers, generating 270 thousand new jobs.
While Pemex will have extra resources for 65 billion pesos, as it will reduce the tax burden and the Federal Electricity Commission has sufficient funding to build the thermoelectric plants needed in the Yucatan Peninsula, in Baja California
To finance this plan without increasing taxes or decreeing gasolines, he said, he would resort to using the savings of the Budget Income Stabilization Fund and the resources that were kept in trusts, as disclosed in the presidential decree issued last Thursday, although the Ministry of Finance does not yet disclose which trusts will be extinguished to dispose of their resources.
Employees without aguinaldo
“We are doing our best to maintain a commitment not to increase public debt,” the president said. Although the government will rely on development banking and continue with the same policy of freeing up resources, “the Republican austerity plan will continue even more rigorously.”
“Unlike other times, when the people were asked to wad their belts, it is now the government that is tightening the belt, ending erasing, disappearing, banishing corruption, ending up with luxuries and ostentations to reduce the cost of government to society and further regenerate public life,” the president said.
For this reason, officials will lower the salaries of senior public officials and eliminate aguinaldos from the position of deputy directors, to that of the President of the Republic, because, as the representative said, “I have made a consultation and there is a consensus” to adopt such a measure.
Government advertising costs will also be reduced, travel items will be reduced, operating expenses will be reduced, and more will be saved in purchases from suppliers and in the costs of public works contracted with construction or service companies.
He clarified that there will be no dismissal of state workers at any level, but “more efficiency, more delivery, more austerity and spirit of service will be demanded.”
He hopes to get more resources from the auctions organized by the Institute to Return the Stolen To the People, because the alienation of the property alienated to crime will intensify.
He said he will unveil a public, private and social investment programme for the energy sector next week for approximately 339 billion pesos.
He acknowledged what Mexican bankers did, who decided to give an extension, a six-month period in the payment of credits and interest to their small business clients and credit to families.
And while he thanked all the entrepreneurs who had the indications for the health emergency to stop their non-essential economic and commercial activities, the president did not include in his plan any project to support that sector to maintain jobs.
Health plan
The president said that prior to the appearance of the coronavirus “we were already working on improving the public health system,” therefore 72 unfinished health centers and hospitals were completed and the Institute of Health for Welfare was created.
That’s why, “to this day we have six thousand 425 intensive care beds with their respective fans and with the nurses of specialized doctors”.
The Marine and DN-III plans were activated, so the Navy and the Ministry of Defense received five billion pesos and “399 beds, equipment and specialized medical personnel will be backed up soon.”
He said, without “triumphalism,” “Mexico is, after India, the country with the least coronavirus-infected and the third country with the least deaths by number of inhabitants. We’re going well, but let’s not trust each other, let’s keep taking care of ourselves at home,” López Obrador said.
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Original source in Spanish

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