“I was very blunt”: Kamala Harris spoke to AMLO of concerns about corruption and impunity in Mexico

A few days before his visit to Mexico and Guatemala, the Vice President of the United States, Kamala harris, revealed that by speaking with the leaders of each country, they expressed concern about the levels of corruption and impunity in their respective countries.

During an interview with the press agency EFE, Harris said she was “very frank.” with the Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and the Guatemalan, Alejandro Giammattei. In addition to that, Harris explained that she also touched on the corruption and impunity issues that exist in those countries, an issue that keeps her very “concerned.”

“I have been very direct with each of them regarding these concerns.Harris assured in his phone conversation with EFE, two days after his return from his trips to Guatemala and Mexico.

Harris answered a question from EFE on the controversial reform in Guatemala of the law on non-governmental organizations, promoted by the official party and which will allow the unilateral cancellation by state decision of any NGO established in the country.

For its part, The Mexican government complained to the United States for funding organizations such as Article 19 and Mexicans against corruption and impunity (MCCI), which López Obrador rejects as “putschists“And“ opponents. ”The president of that country has also received criticism for his treatment of the press.

In addition, Harris also asked them to let non-governmental organizations and the press of the respective nations work unhindered. The vice-president assured this Thursday that it is an alarming problem, because there must be an independence of the government vis-à-vis the aforementioned bodies.

“This is a question that concerns me deeply, because we want to make sure that there is independence: an independent judiciary, a independent press, and that non-profit organizations, NGOs, can do their work without interference. I said it very clearly, ”said Harris.

the Mexican Congress on Thursday agreed to request a report from López Obrador government on Vice President’s visit in the country and on the agreements signed and the commitments made.

The Second Working Committee of the Standing Committee, the body replacing the Chamber of Deputies and Senate During the legislative recess, he agreed to seek, through the Permanent’s Board of Directors, documentation and information regarding the memorandum of understanding signed between the governments of Mexico and the United States.

It is Thursday this Commission was formally installed, chaired by Senator Claudia Ruiz Massieu, of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which will deal with foreign affairs, national defense and public education.

At the meeting of the Labor Committee, which was held at a distance, the senator from the same party, Beatriz Paredes, was who raised the need to formally request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, within the framework of the collaboration between Powers, the documents of the agreements concluded during the meeting between López Obrador and Vice President Harris.

This request was joined by the deputy Maria del Carmen Almeida, from Morena, the ruling party. However, he requested that after the analysis, a statement be made by the Commission to prevent this information from being used to influence the post-election phase.

In this sense, the legislators approved, in an economic vote and unanimously, to request, through the Board of Directors of the Standing Committee, the documentation and information relating to the memorandum of understanding signed between the governments of Mexico and the United States.

the memorandum in question signed during the bilateral meeting, it consists of Commitment to expand the Sembrando Vida reforestation projects and the Young Building the Future scholarship project in Central America, both promoted by the government of Mexico.

*With information from the EFE

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