President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to stop interfering in domestic affairs, adding that Mexico is more democratic than its neighbor on Tuesday.
The terse statements followed comments and social media posts from U.S. Department of State officials regarding large-scale protests over the weekend in Mexico. The demonstrations, which saw more than 100,000 people in Mexico City and thousands more in other cities rallied against Lopez Obrador’s efforts to defund Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE).
“In Mexico, we see a great debate on electoral reforms on the independence of electoral and judicial institutions that illustrates Mexico’s vibrant democracy,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. “We respect Mexico’s sovereignty. We believe that a well-resourced, independent electoral system and respect for judicial independence support a healthy democracy.”
The electoral overhaul issue is expected to be ultimately decided by Mexico’s Supreme Court. Lopez Obrador (AMLO) claimed that his efforts to overhaul the INE are a way to save money. His opposition claims that defunding INE would compromise its functionality and effectively allow AMLO to select his successor.
“[The U.S. government] dominated all of Latin America and named and removed rulers at will — it’s the same thing now,” AMLO said mockingly. “They are still talking about liberty, they are still talking about democracy. Well, let’s be clear: in regards to us, and with all due respect, there is more liberty and there is more democracy in Mexico than the U.S. And, if they want to debate the issue, let’s do it. I have the proof.”
Lopez Obrador has lashed out against the U.S. government in the past, claiming attempts were made to interfere in domestic matters like propping up his political opposition.
“We are not a colony, we are not a protectorate,” AMLO said. “We are a free and sovereign country — we demand respect.”
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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