President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reiterated his support for President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum in her decision not to invite the King of Spain to her inauguration, given that the monarchy has not apologized for the offenses committed against the native peoples of Mexico during the country’s colonization. “[They refused] to begin a new relationship based on respect,” he explained.
President López Obrador said that the defense lawyers of García Luna, former Minister of Security during the Felipe Calderón administration, have already accepted his client’s guilt by asking for a 20-year prison sentence as opposed to a life sentence for drug trafficking crimes in the United States. The President insisted that Calderón make a statement on the issue and clarify whether he knew about the activities of his former right-hand man. “It is hypocritical to accuse us of being linked to drug trafficking, when in a few days they are going to sentence his security minister,” he said.
“The majority of Mexicans are very aware that a transformation is taking place in the country and that for the first time an authentic democracy is being applied […] It is an independent government, not a puppet of the economic power groups and much less of organized crime, as occurred during Felipe Calderón’s administration”, the President declared.
The President said there is no legal basis for the appeals against the Judicial Reform, nor for the appeal filed to command the National Electoral Institute (INE) not to organize the election of judges, magistrates, and ministers. “Why doesn’t the president of the judicial branch explain her position on this, why is she silent, why this complicit silence of those who do not act in accordance with the legal framework in effect and who are violating the rule of law?,” he asked.
In the framework of the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of the 43 young teacher training college students of Ayotzinapa, President López Obrador reaffirmed his solidarity with the fathers and mothers of the students. “They are within their rights to demonstrate. We are still working to find them […] and the next president will provide continuity to the investigation. There will be no impunity,” he said.
