José Díaz Briseño / Reform Agency
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 | 23:03
Washington.- The United States Embassy in Mexico has notified the Biden Administration of potential threats to democracy in the context of the changes promoted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to reform the National Electoral Institute (INE), The New York Times revealed today.
According to three anonymous US officials, quoted by the New York newspaper, the Embassy in Mexico City has sent specific assessments of the risks to Mexican democracy, but the Biden Administration has avoided speaking out in public so as not to provoke López Obrador.
“The Embassy of the United States in Mexico has been sending reports to Washington evaluating possible threats to democracy in the country, according to three US officials who were not authorized to speak in public,” says a note from The New York Times published today in its portal.
Signed by Natalie Kitroeff, the note ensures that the reform to the INE known as “Plan B”, approved this Wednesday in the Mexican Senate, means “a coup” against an institution that was key to ending the one-party regime but highlights that the Biden Administration sees no value in speaking out.
“While some (US) legislators have expressed concern about the electoral changes, the Biden Administration has said little on the subject in public,” the note said.
“The US government sees little advantage in provoking López Obrador and has faith that Mexican institutions are capable of defending themselves,” said several US officials.
In the past months, the Biden Administration has been very reticent to answer questions about the reform proposals to the INE; On the only occasion that he has spoken on the subject, a senior official from the US State Department said he had confidence in Mexican institutions.
“People are expressing their points of view. The Mexican Judiciary also has an important role to play in some of the laws that have been introduced in Mexico and we trust that Mexican institutions play their roles appropriately,” said the Undersecretary US Assistant for the Western Hemisphere, Brian Nichols, to a question in a public forum on January 6.
Previously, in November 2022, a spokesman for the US State Department had highlighted the relevance that independent electoral institutions such as the INE have for democracy after being questioned about the massive citizen marches in defense of the organization on November 13.
In December, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democrat Bob Menéndez, asked Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a letter to express to the Mexican government the concern in the US about the so-called “Plan B” to reform the INE by consider it a democratic setback.
