Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denied on Friday that parts of his country are controlled by drug cartels, responding to recent comments by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Blinken told a congressional hearing on Wednesday that it is “fair to say” that parts of Mexico are controlled by cartels rather than the government.
“This is false,” López Obrador said at a press conference. “There is no place in the country that does not have the presence of authorities.”
Blinken also said that the opioid fentanyl coming from Mexico is killing Americans and Mexicans. López Obrador has denied in recent days that Mexico is responsible for the amounts of the drug entering the United States.
“More fentanyl arrives directly in the United States and Canada than in Mexico,” López Obrador said last week.
The comments also follow a US State Department report that said there is credible evidence of human rights abuses, such as killings by officials, disappearances and government-sponsored torture in Mexico.
López Obrador rejected the findings, calling the department a “liar” on Thursday.
The Mexican president pointed out that fentanyl is being trafficked across the border by US citizens rather than illegal immigrants, and blamed the crisis in part on deteriorating family values and a lack of government support for families.
The Mexican leader also claimed that the US protest was politically motivated ahead of the 2024 election.
The exchanges of barbs between neighboring countries over drug trafficking follow the deaths of two Americans and a Mexican at the hands of an alleged drug gang in the northern border town of Matamoros.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
