:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/A3VBZXZYZZC63MMSYQAUH5N5YA.jpeg "The Wall Street Journal has warned that AMLO will give way to a narco-state if it ends the INE")
Journalist May Anastasia O’Grady warned in her column about the wall street journal What Electoral reform weakens the National Electoral Institute (INE), which could lead to insecurity during the next elections, since drug trafficking could take advantage of this and multiply ballot box thefts, threats and assassinations against candidates who do not agree with their planes.
through his column “The Threat of Drugs to Mexican Democracy”, The communicator reported on some events that were reported in previous votes (2020), such as the theft of ballot boxes by armed subjects, candidates assassinated or who withdrew from the race after death threats, as well as officials accompanied by armed escorts and even a severed head who “went to a polling station on polling day”.
He explained that he consulted a report prepared with the support of the three opposition political parties – the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the National Action Party (PAN) and the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) – in which, out of 53 pages, alleged “acts of terrorism” perpetrated by the cartels.
In the document, there are statements based on local news and testimonials to the first person. In the version revised by the WSJ witnesses and perpetrators remain anonymous for their protection. In August 2021, the report was delivered to the Organization of American States in Washington and reported to the Mexican press, but it is still not public.
In its pages you will also find descriptions of coercion, intimidation and even murder made for the purpose of securing election results favored by the cartels. “Eighteen months after the publication of the report, it is still relevant.”
According to the journalist, in the past four years, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) and the National Regeneration Movement party (Morena) have tried “remove institutional controls to executive power.
He celebrated that the end of the mandate of President López Obrador is approaching; On the other hand, he regretted that despite the fact that he will leave office, he will continue to be the leader of the party, therefore, regardless of the candidate, if Morena wins the 2024 elections and retains the majority in Congress , AMLO’s influence and agenda will continue to be present.
“AMLO’s presidential administration, which began in December 2018, has been characterized by vengeance against anyone who stands in his way, politically speaking. This includes the country’s electoral institute. López Obrador blames the institute, known by its acronym INE, for its defeat at the polls in 2006. He seems to see it as a future threat.
He also mentioned that the approval of the legislative package this reform of the INE, known as Plan B, would have been an action against some of its officials.
According to the voice of WSJ, the Institute has an important role in elections and has the ability to increase the citizen participation. By mapping population centers, establishing non-governmental polling stations, recruiting and training workers, civic exercise would have increased.
However, he assured that the laws added to the actions of organized crime that have been presented since the last elections reveal a the political and electoral violence which will be decisive.
He predicted that in subsequent votes there would be suppression of voters, candidates and observers “at gunpoint”, by cartels who need to “control territory and uncooperative officials”.
“Mexico is not a failed state. But things can always get worse and they will if the cartels gain political power (…) Now he wants to end the electoral oversight body, which could be one of the last lines of defense against a narco -State”, he pointed out.