President Andrés Manuel López Obrador accused article 19, an organization of civil society that in 2009 began keeping track of the aggressions to freedom of expression in Mexico, is financed by foreign companies, and even by the United States Department of State.
“That organism is supported by the foreigner, all the people who have to do with Article 19 belong to the conservative movement that is against us.”
During his press conference, López Obrador criticized the United States for commenting on human rights violations in Mexico, including attacks on journalists.
After supporting the director of Notimex due to recent signs of attacks on journalists, @lopezobrador_ noted that Article 19 is funded by foreign companies and the US State Department. pic.twitter.com/wIoPNywu2C
— Political Animal (@Pajaropolitico) March 31, 2021
According to the State Department, while Mexican journalists are free to criticize the government, the president publicly discredits them, causing communicators to receive attacks and threats on social media.
“We don’t get to have an opinion on human rights violations in the United States, we’re respectful, we can’t have an opinion on what’s going on in another country, so why does the U.S. government think about issues that only Mexicans are responsible for?” said the representative.
In its annual report on the human rights situation in Mexico, the US State Department stressed that low prosecution and impunity remain a problem for crimes such as femicides, homicides, disappearance, torture and attacks on journalists and activists.
The report mentioned that journalists and activists were subjected to physical attacks and cyberattacks, harassment and intimidation due to their publications. “High levels of impunity, including killings or attacks on journalists, resulted in self-censiveness and reduced freedom of expression and the press,” he said.
According to the most recent article 19 report, ‘Distortion: Discourse against Reality’, last year there were 692 assaults on journalists and the media; an increase of 13.62% compared to the first year of administration of López Obrador that held the record with 609 assaults.
The agency warned that the president’s morning conferences handle a “strategy of division and stigmatization.”
The mornings are “in the key scenario to discriminate between the alleged only reliable source of information (the government) and the adversaries (criticism),” Article 19 stressed.
“Fantoches, conservatives, filthy pasquin, hypocrites, double-sided, ‘fifi’ press, neoliberals, power mafia”, are just some of the adjectives that the president devotes practically daily to the media and journalists who understand that they are contrary to his management.
The US State Department also told Sanjuana Martínez Montemayor, director of Notimex, of being a participant in the attacks on reporters in Mexico, in his report he resumed information from Aristegui Noticias, Signa Lab and Article 19, who had already warned of this practice.
Both in the middle and organizations have information and testimonies that state News Agency (Notimex) executives take coordinated actions to harass and assault journalists and outside offenders they consider “adverse.”
Interviewees said there is a chat called “The Avengers N” in which executives, sent by director Sanjuana Martínez, order workers to post messages on Twitter and use hashtags against journalists and extra-speakers.
Following the commentary, against Article 19, the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity defended the organization and stressed that it is one of the most professional, transparent and committed organizations to democracy, freedom of expression and, in general, human rights in Mexico.
“The sayings of @lopezobrador_ in the morning are lies. We defend those who defend us,” he wrote on his social media.
@article19mex is one of the most professional, transparent and committed organizations to democracy, freedom of expression and, in general, human rights in Mexico. The sayings of @lopezobrador_ in the morning are lies. We defend those who defend us. pic.twitter.com/12l0wSfaRR
— MovimientoxPazMexico (@MxLaPazMx) March 31, 2021
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