U.S. Fake News Media Debunked in Real Time at AMLO’s Press Conference – Cienfuegos

Mexico debunks in real time the misleading news about Gen. Cienfuegos release.

At Thursday morning’s press conference, the president of Mexico, Lopez Obrador, and the minister of exterior, Marcelo Ebrard fact checked the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal on their false reporting. The papers wrote that Mexico threatened the United States to arrest U.S. agents in Mexico if U.S. authorities didn’t release former defense secretary Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, from allegedly taking bribes from cartels.

UPDATE: The DEA evidence resulted inefficient to proceed with the charges on Gen. Cienfuegos. Mexico’s president accused the DEA of fabricating evidence, and  then AMLO made the DEA evidence against Gen. Cienfuegos public for everyone to see, and show that Mexico was not protecting Gen. Cienfuegos– the DEA then became a meme in Mexico trending on Twitter and other social networks..

Ebrard emphasizes that Mexico did not threaten or pressure the United States. He and the president very poignantly explained the reason why Mexico requested the release of Gen. Cienfuegos, and the reason is due to violations of U.S.-Mexico security bi-lateral cooperation accords, and also hinted the DEA charges were possibly fabricated.

Mexico explains Cienfuegos’ arrest was executed without the knowledge of Mexican authorities, when Cienfuegos was on a vacation trip to the U.S.

Ebrard also says there are currently 50 DEA agents permanently working in Mexico for investigative purposes only, but they cannot carry weapons nor arrest anyone. Doinf so would constitute a violation, not only of Mexico’s sovereignty, but also of Mexican constitutional laws which state that any Mexican nationals who commit crimes within its territory, should be prosecuted, judged and sentenced in Mexico.

Ebrard says these points were presented to the United States Attorney General William Barr, in a very diplomatic and cordial manner, and in no moment did Mexico threaten the U.S. or AG Barr with arresting U.S. agents in Mexico.

By Thursday afternoon, the Associated Press released another misleading article titled: “Mexico says no more US trials for corrupt officials.”

Secretary Ebard explained it’s normal for Mexico, as well for the U.S., to prosecute their own citizens, and gave annexample, “how it would look if Mexico were to arrest any [corrupt] U.S. official in Mexico.”

“We recently gave U.S. authorities a list of weapon-trafficking cartels in the U.S. ran by American citizens: if couldn’t trust each other, we won’t be sharing our investigation. We can do more in security in benefit of both countries if we work together with trust.” said Ebrard.

Ebrard thank the U.S. Attorney General Barr, and the Brooklyn’s judge for trusting Mexico’s authorities and their ability to follow up with Cienfuegos case.

President Lopez Obrador asks Mexicans to trust the legal process, and highlights that any crime committed will be nvestigated and “there won’t be impunity.”

Lopez Obrador says to understand the concern of some people because past administrations were not up to the task, but his government is not corrupt, and that’s one of the reasons why U.S. authorities trust Mexico to follow up with the case. The U.S. immediately sent all the evidence they have on Cienfuegos to Mexico’s justice department.

Currently, the Mexican supreme court approved to initiate an investigation on ex-presidents for drug trafficking and corruption. These presidents were from the far-right party (PRI & PAN) which ruled Mexico for 70 years, but in 2018 Mexicans voted them out of power and elected a third party, MORENA.

In video, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) explains how the U.S. media is reporting and creating “spectacles instead of reporting facts.”

Transcript of his and Ebrard’s answer to The New York Times and The Washington Post’s incorrect reporting and what really happened on the occasion of Cienfuegos’ release. For the full transcript of the conference click here:

All AMLO’s videos can be watched in his daily press conference on AMLO’s youtube channel, and the government of Mexico youtube channel, as well.