Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday faced criticism over the newly appointed head of the country’s human rights agency.
Lopez Obrador vowed respect for human rights when he took office nearly a year ago, but he has criticized the Mexican National Human Rights Commission in crude terms and brushed aside its recommendations, calling it a “pimp” and a “front” organization.
This week, his Morena party pushed through the Mexican Congress the appointment of a new head for the agency who critics say is neither impartial nor familiar with the country’s problems.
Rosario Piedra Ibarra was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday in a vote marred by allegations of miscounts and double-voting, ending in a scuffle among legislators.
Moments after she was sworn in as head of the agency — whose recommendations are not binding, but are usually accepted by government agencies — Piedra Ibarra expressed disbelief when asked about the killing of journalists.
“Are they killing journalists?” she asked.
Almost a dozen have been killed since Lopez Obrador took office.
Piedra Ibarra was a Morena member until this week, and a member of the party’s national leadership council until the beginning of the month.
Critics say that regulations require the head of the commission to have resigned from any party posts at least a year in advance of being named to the post.
Lopez Obrador had previously faced criticism for his use of the military in police work and for using the militarized National Guard to prevent Central American migrants from traveling through Mexico.
However, his policy has also been to hold the military back from open confrontation, to the point of praising units that backed down in the face of angry townspeople or drug gangs.
On Thursday, the president stood behind Piedra Ibarra’s appointment and said those who did not like to could file complaints with international organizations such as the Organization of American States.
He harshly criticized non-governmental organizations that objected to Piedra Ibarra’s marred election, saying they had done little to fight the excesses of past administrations.
“They disguised themselves as civic groups, when in reality they were acting, openly or clandestinely, in favor the ruling regime,” he said.
The president railed against independent regulatory agencies that have sought to limit some of the president’s projects.
“These are all agencies that were created to act as if they were protecting human rights,” he said.
Lopez Obrador’s natural instinct of austerity abhors the high paychecks that government regulatory agencies have long received.
“They talk about defending democracy, but it was all about their pocketbooks,” Federico Estevez, a political science professor at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico, said of some regulatory agencies.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
RSS