Government of Mexico rejects spying on opponents and journalists | News

The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, rejected this Tuesday that his government spy, and defended that what the Army does is what he called "intelligence against organized crime, but not among journalists or opponents"

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López Obrador's response came after rumors began to circulate that the Ministry of National Defense had acquired Pegasus equipment in this administration to spy on opponents, journalists and human rights defenders.

In this sense, the Mexican president summoned those who made the complaint: "If they have evidence to present it but the truth is there are no elements, we would not have a reason. It is also improper and contrary to our principles."

López Obrador considered that there is what he called a new campaign against his government, however, he announced that the Ministry of National Defense would report between this Tuesday and Wednesday on this alleged purchase of espionage equipment.

Likewise, the Mexican president pointed out that the best way to deal with organized crime is intelligence, not force, to which he said: "Imagine if all that armed confrontation, that is what was done when war was declared when it broke out war".

Later, the president pointed out that “even if they don't like it, hugs, not bullets, and the use of intelligence for nothing more than that to spy on opponents is completely false. The army does not engage in espionage, what is done is intelligence to confront criminals."

In that same sense, López Obrador recalled that if the explanations were not enough, the media can opt for the legal route; while he recalled that behind these campaigns against his government there is private, national and foreign financing.

The use of the Pegasus program for espionage has caused scandals in several Western countries, due to violations of people's privacy and uses other than those for which it is presumed to have been purchased.