López Obrador avoids giving a concrete plan to tackle the crisis of femicides

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• Feminism becomes the headache of the Mexican Government

• Editorial | López Obrador and the femicides

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, blamed the “regime of corruption, injustices and privileges” inherited from previous governments for the violence that bleeds his country, particularly gender violence, which every day takes the lives of ten women . Questioned by a local reporter, the president said that his Administration is "addressing the causes" of that violence, but did not present a clear strategy to curb the high rate of femicides, crimes that have 90% impunity. While the president defended the actions of his Government against this scourge, outside the National Palace, in the center of the Mexican capital, dozens of women protested the murder, rape and torture of Fatima, a seven-year-old girl, whose Crime has shocked the country.

"We are addressing the causes [of violence against women] and think that as long as we have a fairer, more egalitarian, fraternal society, with values, where individualism is not what prevails, but love of neighbor, That there is much love, that there is no hatred, so we will be facing all the challenges, all the challenges, ”replied the Mexican president after being questioned by a Mexican reporter during his morning press conference, colloquially known as“ the morning ”.

When asked about when he would present a timely plan to deal with femicides, López Obrador did not give a concrete answer, although he said that he “sees very well” that a special prosecutor's office is created to investigate these crimes, but he made it clear that it is a issue that must be discussed by the Federal Congress, congresses and state governments and the Mexican attorney general's own. "I see very well everything that is done to achieve peace and tranquility and we will continue to help in everything," he said.

The López Obrador Government has been questioned by feminist groups, which consider the response to hate crimes against women to be negligent. The president has been involved in controversies over his comments on the subject, the last one last week, when he presented a decalogue to address gender violence, which would later be disseminated by the Ministry of the Interior, which decided to erase it after the avalanche of criticism in social networks. The second point of this catalog of recommendations against gender-based violence states that “the lives of men and women must be protected,” while the third states that “it is cowardice to attack women”.

"We are all making an effort," the president said Tuesday. “We have to change and the transformation has begun. Nothing but corruption overlapped for a long time. And problem to avoid, explodes. All this that happens is the rotten fruit of a regime of corruption, injustices and privileges. So, you have to change the regime. And that is the main purpose. ”

López Obrador also said that gender violence is an issue that has been entrusted to the head of the capital's government, Claudia Sheinbaum, and to the Secretary of the Interior, Olga Sánchez. He made it clear that for the moment he is not willing to meet with feminist groups that have requested a hearing to raise awareness among the Executive about sexist violence. The president did ask the women that their demonstrations are not violent. “All our respect and guarantees to manifest. The only recommendation: respectful, that they be peaceful manifestations. I understand that these are very serious issues. It is possible to protest without violence. Nonviolence is an option. You can't face violence with violence, ”he said.

While he justified his Administration's actions against femicides, on the outskirts of the National Palace dozens of women protested on Tuesday morning for the murder of Fatima, the seven-year-old girl whose body was found with signs of torture. Protests have spread throughout the country since the weekend, when thousands of women demonstrated the feminicide of Ingrid Escamilla, 25, killed by her partner in Mexico City. "Femicides are crimes of state!" Shouted the protesters at the gates of the Palace.

López Obrador charges again against EL PAÍS

López Obrador also criticized on Tuesday the editorial of EL PAÍS that questions his response to the crisis of femicides, which kills an average of ten women a day. "And why didn't they say anything when Spanish companies were the favorites and with the support of governments they obtained huge profits?" Asked the president in the National Palace.

The president says that this newspaper has been silent about what he considers “the immoral behavior” of banks, the construction company OHL and the energy companies Repsol and Iberdrola, all of them mentioned by López Obrador. "When THE COUNTRY was questioned about these companies?" This is the second time that the Mexican president criticizes the newspaper. In November 2019 he used the same forum to complain about an editorial published after the 2012 presidential elections.

The coverage of corruption scandals that have splashed some of these companies have been robust in EL PAÍS. Just remember the timely follow-up of the corruption plot revealed in 2015 at OHL. A series of telephone punctures left bare the exchange of favors between managers and advisers of the Spanish construction company with officials of the State of Mexico, governed by the PRI. The case forced the resignation of the communications secretary of that entity.