The Mexican president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), denounced the campaigns being carried out to delegitimize the governments of Pedro Castillo in Peru, and Xiomara Castro in Honduras.
“We are respectful of the decisions which are being taken in other countries, but it is more than clear that conservative forces are conspiring against the legal, legitimate government of Castillo,” said the Mexican head of state during a press conference.
“President Castillo won, Peruvians decided that…” said AMLO. “How is it possible that they are already trying to overthrow him? Conservatives are the same everywhere.” Far-right sectors in Peru have tried to initiate a referendum to recall Castillo, but failed when Congress failed to pass the motion in December.
Castillo has had to name a new cabinet three times now, after his Prime Minister Héctor Valer Pinto decided to leave the Castillo government this past Friday, in the wake of several news outlets exposing allegations of domestic violence filed in 2016.
Regarding Honduras, AMLO touched on the political crisis that has welcomed President Castro from the moment she took office. Honduras faced a dispute over the presidency of parliament between deputies who are loyal to Castro and those who oppose her leadership.
“Since Castro took office, a smear campaign has been waged against her, and now they are accusing her of corruption,” AMLO said. “It’s the same, those who were once in power feel like they have been moved aside.”
On the other hand, Xiomara Castro announced yesterday that the dispute over the presidency of Congress has been resolved. Dissident Jorge Calix renounced his intention to claim the presidency and “will recognize and respect my decision to support the bicentennial accord, with Luis Redondo as president of the National Congress,” President Castro wrote on Twitter.
AMLO also commented on the supposed “international meeting of conservatism” which took place in Miami and included the likes of Mario Vargas Llosa, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
“What they spoke about there should not be cast as irrelevant,” stated the president. In addition, AMLO took advantage of the press conference to issue his best wishes to the recently elected progressive president of Chile, Gabriel Boric.
AMLO reiterated that his government respects the principle of non-intervention in regards to Mexico’s foreign policy, according to the news agency AFP.
“However, we are onboard with defending those who fight for justice and democracy,” he clarified.
AMLO has tightened his links with leftist governments in Latin America and has even sent a delegation of advisors to Castillo, which was criticized by the Peruvian opposition.
Featured image: Andrés Manuel López Obrador gives a press conference. Photo: Últimas Noticias.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KW/SL
