Mexico’s President Ignores Journalist’s Concerns About Harassment, Accuses Critic of Being DEA Informant
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been criticized for his treatment of journalists, with a recent incident outlining his disregard for their safety and concerns, CBS News reports.
During his daily press briefing on Tuesday, independent reporter Reyna Ramírez described how she was harassed by an angry mob of the president’s supporters in June while covering an event. The crowd yelled “sold out reporter” and forced her to flee.
“I am at risk because of this, now anyone can attack me in the street,” Ramírez said, highlighting the danger of López Obrador’s polarization of society. “You have polarized society. Don’t you have anything to say about that?”
However, López Obrador dismissed her concerns, responding with a dismissive “Have you gone on long enough?” When pressed to address the actions of his supporters, he simply said “nothing, nothing, nothing.”
Just minutes later, López Obrador launched into an attack on journalist and author Anabel Hernández, whose recent book details alleged links between the current administration and Mexican drug cartels. The president claimed Hernández “is an agent or informant of the DEA.”
“It’s frustrating that the president sees the narcos as part of the people, but sees the journalists who investigate them as the enemy,” Hernández said in response.
Hernández has previously faced insults from López Obrador, who has accused her of working with the DEA to smear him. In May, she noted that his aggressive rhetoric had made it difficult for her to promote her book due to safety concerns.
While López Obrador claims to be more open to the press than previous presidents, his daily briefings often favor softball questions from supportive outlets. He has also been denounced for using confidential tax and banking information to publish the salaries of journalists he dislikes and for revealing the personal phone number of a foreign correspondent.
International press freedom groups, the US State Department, and the Organization of American States have condemned López Obrador’s attacks on the press, citing the increased risk they pose to journalists who are already vulnerable in Mexico.
Media workers in Mexico frequently face threats and violence, often in retaliation for their reporting on issues like corruption and drug trafficking. 2022 was one of the deadliest years on record for journalists in Mexico, with at least 15 killed, and the vast majority of these cases remain unsolved.
