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This column by Carlos Fernández-Vega originally appeared in Spanish in La Jornada on August 28 2024. With the classic proconsul air of gringo ambassadors, Ken […]

Highlights of this morning’s presidential press conference include: AMLO once again criticized Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Piña and the national president of the PAN, Marko Cortés, for attempting to violate the independence of the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) by trying to influence the allocation of proportional representation seats in Congress, through an appeal filed before the country’s highest court; the President clarified that the relationship with the U.S. and Canadian governments continues. However, he said that relations with the embassies of those countries have been put on hold due to their interference in matters that only concern Mexicans; it is not true that spending on education decreased during López Obrador's administration. In 2024, the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) budget increased 35.1% with respect to 2018 and 5.5% with regard to 2023; a false narrative is making the rounds about an “economic catastrophe” that could result from Morena and its allied parties receiving a 2/3 majority in the Chamber of Deputies and from the approval of the Judicial Reform. The peso continues to be the second most appreciated currency against the dollar; Mexico's credit rating is stable; Mexico's international reserves are at an all-time high of US$22.7 billion; and Mexico is the 12th largest economy in the world.

Highlights of this morning’s presidential press conference include: AMLO denounced Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Piña’s decision to accept two cases that she should have rejected for being inadmissible. The cases involve two tax debts for more than 35 billion pesos (US$1.78 billion). One of the cases was assigned to a justice who has a history defending wealthy individuals; the President charged that that, without having the authority to do so, the Supreme Court (SCJN) accepted an appeal by the PAN against the allocation of proportional representation seats to Morena and allied parties in the Chamber of Deputies, with which the block will have a 2/3 majority. The Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF) has the final say in electoral matters, not the SCJN, the President noted; President López Obrador said that the warnings issued by rating agencies claiming that the Judicial Reform would bring negative consequences for the national economy should not be taken seriously; AMLO said that the relationship with the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, is good, but is on pause, following the diplomats statements against the Judicial Reform. “They have to learn to respect Mexico's sovereignty,” he said