translated from Spanish: AMLO attacks it, but Protection Mechanism recognizes Article 19 work

On the same day that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador criticized the organization Article 19, the Governing Board of the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists recognized its work, fundamental to the defense of journalists in the country. 
The Board is composed of the Secretariat of the Governance (Segob), the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic (FGR), the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC); Secretariat for Foreign Affairs (SRE) and the Citizen Advisory Council.
“The Protection Mechanism recognizes the role of persons and organizations defending freedom of expression and access to information for a democracy and for the prevalence of the rule of law,” the Board said in a statement.
Read: AMLO accuses that Article 19 is financed by foreign companies and belongs to the ‘conservative movement’
They highlighted the work of human rights defenders to ensure the safety of journalists and because they “also defend the right of society as a whole to be informed, because in a democracy to know and know public information allows to make the best decisions”.
As well as organizations that defend freedom of expression. His work, he said, has helped combat impunity and push for legal reforms that remove barriers to freedom of expression.
“Article 19 has been instrumental in defending journalists based across the country, who, in the face of threats, assault, harassment, espionage and censorship, have come to her for support,” the statement said.
This recognition comes after the representative said the organization, which has been working in Mexico since 2008, is funded by foreign companies, and even by the U.S. Department of State.
Find out: Mañaneras de AMLO, a scenario for stigmatizing the press: Article 19
“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,” 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 organization said 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.
Following the president’s attacks, 164 human rights, collective and media organizations, and more than 400 activists and journalists published a deployment supporting Article 19.
 
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Original source in Spanish