AMLO disqualifies New York Times investigation into alleged financing of drug trafficking before and after his election in 2018

(CNN Spanish) — Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, anticipated a New York Times article this Thursday about the US government’s investigation into alleged illegal financing of his 2018 presidential campaign and payments after his election, and described the case “absolutely.” wrong”

Lopez Obrador made the revelation during his morning press conference in which he showed a letter from the US newspaper’s office of correspondents in Mexico asking for his version of the alleged investigation to be included in the report.

After the conference, the newspaper published the article, and a company spokesperson told CNN that López Obrador’s reaction “would be a disturbing and unacceptable tactic from a world leader at a time when journalists are being threatened.”

“We have published the results of this investigation and we support our reports and journalists who investigate the facts as far as they lead,” he said.

The spokesman did not specify which presidential tactic he was referring to, but during the conference, López Obrador revealed the telephone number of a newspaper reporter involved in the report. On Thursday afternoon, the National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) announced that it would launch an ex officio investigation into the release of the reporter’s personal data.

The investigation will be separate from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) investigation into López Obrador’s 2006 presidential campaign, for which, according to a report by the ProPublica Journalistic Investigation Center, his associates allegedly received money from drug trafficking. On that occasion, López Obrador also denied the allegations in various press conferences.

This Thursday, while reading the letter, López Obrador answered every question asked by the co-responsible office, denying every statement and discrediting the work of the newspaper.

According to the newspaper, the United States government was investigating statements from a pair of informants that Ismael Zambada Garcia, one of the main bosses of the Sinaloa cartel and founder of the Zetas crime group, gave millions of dollars. people. Close to the current President of Mexico, including his children. The newspaper itself cited the response of the US Department of Justice, confirming that there is no investigation against López Obrador.

The article notes that although recent efforts by US officials have identified possible links between cartels and people associated with López Obrador, they have not found any direct links between the president and criminal organizations.

“Much of the information compiled by US officials has come from informants whose accounts can be difficult to corroborate and sometimes even false,” the newspaper adds. He says investigators obtained the information while investigating drug cartel activities, but “it was not clear how much of what the informants told them was independently confirmed.”

“Where’s the video?” Lopez Obrador said about this.

“The investigation was eventually closed, with US authorities recognizing that it could trigger a diplomatic conflict with Mexico. “In large part, the decision followed the reaction of the Mexican government when the United States arrested General Salvador Cienfuegos in 2020,” Mexico’s The letter reads as the president read it. “In other words, they were afraid of us, because Mexico is respected,” the president said of the paragraph.

“They are all wrong, absolutely. Wrong,” he added.

“Did the president or members of his administration know about the recent investigation? No, because what they maintain is false.”

“If so, what was the reaction inside the National Palace? Well, nothing, nothing (…) If you are hearing about this for the first time, what is your opinion? Nothing, that you are a fake of the New York Times and who ordered you to report,” said López Obrador.