MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday slammed as “slanderous” a European Parliament resolution expressing concern about his antagonism towards critical media, accusing EU lawmakers of siding with his adversaries.
The EU parliament on Thursday passed a resolution urging Lopez Obrador to tone down his broadsides against the media in Mexico, a country that has seen a series of killings of journalists, especially in recent weeks.
The parliament expressed concern over “the systematic and tough critiques used by the highest authorities of the Mexican Government against journalists.”
Calling the resolution “slanderous” and “completely false”, Lopez Obrador said he had personally helped to draft a government response issued on Thursday evening that likened EU lawmakers to “sheep” backing his “reactionary” adversaries.
Speaking at a regular daily briefing, he read out the Mexican response in its entirety again.
The EU parliament noted Lopez Obrador has used “populist rhetoric” in his news conferences to “denigrate and intimidate” independent journalists, media owners and activists.
Lopez Obrador argues his adversaries are bent on undermining his efforts to root out entrenched inequality and corruption, and says he is taking steps to protect journalists.
(Reporting by Mexico City Newsroom, writing by Cassandra Garrison, editing by Nick Macfie)
