Arturo Zaldivar met with European ambassador after AMLO controversy with Parliament

After the controversy generated by the exchange of communiqués between Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), the Mexican president, and the European Parliament, the Chief Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), Arturo Zaldivar, met with Gautier Mignot, ambassador of the European Union to Mexico.

After last March 10, the European Parliament demanded that López Obrador stop violence against journalists and human rights activists, because, according to its resolution, Mexico has become the most violent place to carry out both activities.

Faced with this, the Chief Executive sent a statement, which he drafted together with the spokesman for the Presidency, Jesús Ramírez Cuevas, and “other comrades”, lamented that the European Parliament “are joining the reactionary and coup strategy of the corrupt group like sheep” who have consistently shown themselves against its nation project self-described as the Fourth Transformation (Q4). These statements by the Government of Mexico caused endless criticism from politicians, academics and journalists.

In this context, through a brief press release, the SCJN said that the meeting of the minister president and Mignot talked about the possibility of working together to safeguard the lives of Mexicans.

“This visit explored possibilities for cooperation between the Supreme Court and various European Union programmes, and reiterated the commitment of this High Court to continue working with regional and international organizations and unions, in order to promote, protect and guarantee the human rights of persons who live in Mexico,” explained the highest constitutional court.

For his part, the ambassador of the European Union held his meeting with Zaldívar which he called “interesting” and “fruitful”.

“A very interesting and fruitful meeting with the Minister President of @SCJN @ArturoZaldivarL talking about the challenges and achievements of the Mexican judicial system and how it can usefully contribute it to its development and to the strengthening of relations with Europe,” the official of the old continent wrote through his official account from Twitter.

The European Chamber highlighted that the situation of violence in Mexico has worsened since the last federal elections in 2018, when López Obrador became president of the Republic and Q4 began his administration.

They also expressed their concern about the “harsh and systematic criticism” issued by the Mexican authorities against journalists and their work, therefore reproving the statements that the Tabasqueño gives from the National Palace, which, they said, allude to “populist rhetoric”.

After responding to European legislators with a strong letter, on March 14, during his morning conference, the Chief Executive assured that the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), Marcelo Ebrard, was aware of and agreed with the document he released to the Eurochamber.

“He is totally in agreement with the position we take, he knows well that it is not a matter of concern for human rights, nor is it a diplomatic matter, it is entirely a political matter, so for those who said that why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not answering and why did the Presidency answer: it is because it is a political issue”, he said.

López Obrador's clarification came as various opposition figures questioned the role played by Ebrard within the administration of Q4.

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