Mexico - July 2023

On 13 July, the National Electoral Institute (INE) took decisive action amid an escalating dispute between President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, which had been ongoing since early July. The feud was marked by allegations of public slander, private financial data disclosure, and direct criticism in Obrador's daily press briefings, or 'mañaneras', leading INE to issue an order prohibiting the president from commenting on potential candidates for the 2024 elections. This intervention was triggered by a complaint from Gálvez, who accused Obrador of misusing state resources and perpetrating "political gender-based violence". Upon investigation, the INE found that Obrador's comments violated principles of neutrality, impartiality, and fairness, leading to the removal of several press conference videos from July. Despite the ruling, Obrador continued his criticisms, promoting further action from an electoral court on 2 August. The ruling deemed Obrador’s actions as "gender-based violence" and issued another order for him to cease this behaviour. The president has been accused of breaching electoral laws by using 'mañaneras' (publicly funded broadcasts) to target the opposition. He denies these allegations and, claiming an infringement on his freedom of expression.

Sources: Associated Press, El Universal, Instituto Nacional Electoral (INE), Expansión Política, Al Jazeera, Reuters, El País

On 25 July, the Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) presented its final report on the 2014 Ayotzinapa students’ disappearance and announced their early withdrawal from the case.  The GIEI, appointed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, concluded its collaboration with the Mexican government, citing systematic failings and obstructions to the investigation. The report implicates members of the Mexican Army, Navy, police, and intelligence agencies in the disappearance and alleges that former officials engaged in deception, evidence tampering, and extracting false testimonies under torture. Despite early progress, according to GIEI, key state institutions began withholding information as they got closer to revealing the truth. However, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, denied these claims on 27 July, stating that the defence and navy ministries did not obstruct investigations.

Sources: The New York Times, Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín, The Washington Post, Reuters, Oficina en México del Alto Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos