The Mexican President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), sharply criticized YouTube for removing one of his morning press conferences from February 22nd. The reason behind the platform’s decision to take down the video was the disclosure of Natalie Kitroeff’s phone number, a journalist from The New York Times who co-authored a report on an investigation by U.S. authorities into possible links between the president’s inner circle and drug trafficking.
YouTube argued that publishing the phone number violated its policies against harassment and bullying, especially by revealing personal information without consent.
Manuel López Obrador Attacks YouTube
In response to YouTube’s decision, President López Obrador’s reaction was swift. Through his YouTube channel and other media, the Mexican president described the platform’s action as “arrogant and authoritarian.”
This was the Mexican president’s response to YouTube’s action:
Due to censorship, YouTube took down our video of the press conference on Thursday, February 22, because, according to them, it “violates community standards.” This is an arrogant and authoritarian attitude. They are in full decline. The Statue of Liberty has become an empty symbol.
Fortunately, we began our fight for the country’s transformation by distributing leaflets, not only without support but against the manipulative media of the oligarchy. Neither the power mafia nor the journalism underworld will be able to silence us.
As Don Quixote would say: “Freedom, Sancho, is one of the most precious gifts that the heavens have given to men; with it, the treasures hidden in the earth and covered by the sea cannot compare; for freedom, as well as for honor, one can and must venture life.”
Mexican President Harasses Times Reporter
The President López Obrador accused Kitroeff of defaming him by publishing a report on an investigation by US government authorities into possible drug trafficking financing of AMLO’s 2018 campaign.
The President vehemently stated that the journalist slandered him by “linking me and my family to drug trafficking without evidence.” The journalistic report in question sought the Mexican government’s position on a US investigation that suggests that the president’s children and close collaborators could have received money from drug trafficking. Kitroeff included her personal phone number as a contact method to receive the Mexican government’s position, which was later revealed by the president during his press conference.
López Obrador defended his decision to expose the journalist’s personal information, arguing that he would do it again if the dignity of the President of Mexico were at stake, thus placing him above the Personal Data Protection Law. He denied that revealing Kitroeff’s personal information posed any risk to her safety.
In the midst of the controversy and with irony, the President advised Kitroeff to “change her phone number” after sharing it publicly.
He questioned the fairness of the situation, asking: “And the right to slander? Does she have the right to slander me, my family, my children? But also, without any proof?”.
President López Obrador underscores a continued stance against what he perceives as defamation, warning that in his morning briefings, any “slander” will receive a full rebuttal, regardless of the accuser. This incident marks a significant clash between the Mexican presidency and a major international media outlet, raising concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists in Mexico.
The decision of the President of Mexico to disclose the phone number of a journalist from The New York Times triggered a series of revelations of personal phone numbers of individuals close to Lopez Obrador.
Some of the phone numbers disclosed were those of José Ramón López Beltrán, the President’s son; Claudia Sheinbaum, presidential candidate; Jesús Ramírez, spokesperson for the Presidency.
ALSO. Mexico’s President attacks a journalist from The New York Times again
The NYT revelation about Mexico’s president
The NYT’s journalistic work, conducted by Alan Feuer and Natalie Kitroeff, is based on a new investigation carried out by the United States government into alleged drug trafficking financing in his 2018 presidential campaign.
A few weeks ago, ProPublica and other media outlets published information about a DEA inquiry into alleged organized crime money donations, particularly from the Sinaloa Cartel, to Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) 2006 presidential campaign. Thus, the NYT’s publication concerns a new case.
According to a New York Times report, U.S. law enforcement officials conducted a years-long secret investigation into allegations that close allies of the Mexican president held meetings and received millions of dollars from drug cartels after his election. This investigation sought to clarify possible links between cartel operators and advisers or officials close to López Obrador.
INAI to Investigate Personal Data Violation
The National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) has announced the initiation of an ex-officio investigation following the disclosure of a journalist’s phone number from The New York Times during Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s morning briefing.
You can read the NYT’s investigation here.
