Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sparked controversy for defending his country’s soldiers after a video showed them retreating from a convoy of cartel members. The president claimed the escape protected the lives of cartel gunmen.
The issue began this week when Mexico’s military announced operations in Michoacan. Hours later, a video became viral showing groups of cartel members in SUVs chasing soldiers out of the town of Nueva Italia.
Soon after, Lopez Obrador said during a news conference that they must protect his federal troops, but they must also protect members of criminal organizations.
“Cuidamos a los elementos de las Fuerzas Armadas, de la Defensa, de la Guardia Nacional, pero también cuidamos a los integrantes de las bandas. Son seres humanos, esta es una política distinta”, dijo el presidente López Obrador.
Más, en https://t.co/BjdELZkpfR pic.twitter.com/FRhqMatQzq
— Joaquín López-Dóriga (@lopezdoriga) May 12, 2022
“They are human beings, this is a different policy a completely different policy,” the president said. “To me, that was a responsible attitude.”
The comments earned Lopez Obrador criticism from all sectors of Mexican society.
Dijo @lopezobrador_ que cuidaban la vida de los delincuentes porque “son seres humanos”. Señor, el que mutila, viola, descuartiza, asesina a mujeres y niños, quema pueblos enteros, etc, ya perdió todo rastro de ”humanidad”. Usted se va en dos años, no nos deje un país impune
— Adrián LeBarón (@AdrianLebaron) May 13, 2022
“Sir, he who mutilates, rapes, dismembers, murders women and kids, and burns entire towns, etc., has lost all trace of humanity,” said Adrian Lebaron, whose daughter and grandchildren were killed by cartel gunmen in the border state of Sonora. “You leave in two years, don’t leave behind a country of impunity.”
On Friday morning, Lopez Obrador doubled down on his comments claiming that he was attacked by critics for his comments about preserving life.
El presidente López Obrador reiteró lo dicho ayer sobre que las Fuerzas Armadas también cuidan la vida de los delincuentes.
“¿Cómo vamos a querer que alguien pierda la vida?”, cuestionó, en alusión a las críticas que ha recibido.
Más, en: https://t.co/xaMLlC9Dh0 pic.twitter.com/eeLFNfuT1c
— Joaquín López-Dóriga (@lopezdoriga) May 13, 2022
“How are we going to want for someone to lose their life?” the president said.
On Friday morning, the president’s spokesman, Jesus Ramirez Cuevas, said that the effort to push the soldiers away was done to stop raids on cartel laboratories. He said that the military was successful in raiding 5 meth labs and 19 marijuana plantations in Nueva Italia.
Se conoció un video de militares en Michoacán y se cuestionó la falta de uso de fuerza,pero con inteligencia @SEDENAmx logró asegurar 5 laboratorios clandestinos y 19 plantíos de mariguana, en Nueva Italia, Mich. Se impidió la elaboración de 9 millones de dosis de metanfetaminas. pic.twitter.com/4DWMgwjenQ
— Jesús Ramírez Cuevas (@JesusRCuevas) May 13, 2022
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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