Mexican narco threatens to blow up Reforma newspaper

The Reforma newspaper denounced a threat from a man who claims to belong to the Sinaloa Cartel because the media group is “against” AMLO. The alleged narco said they will “blow up” the building.

MEXICO (Grupo Reforma) – Reforma news, published a video, with a compilation of the statements and declarations of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador about the pandemic. They show the contradictions and how the Mexican President minimized the emergency.

Soon after, a man who claims to be a member of the Sinaloa Cartel threatened REFORMA Newspaper. The alleged sicario claims Reforma has “crossed the line” in its criticism against Lopez Obrador and threatened to “blow up” the newspaper building “if they don’t correct their behavior.”

In a call received at REFORMA newsroom at 8:42 a.m., the person, who identified himself as “Federal Congressman Lozoya,” sentenced the newspaper to no longer be “defaming” the President. “The entire Sinaloa Cartel is with Andrés Manuel López Obrador,” he said. “It’s serious: you have already crossed the line.”

The man, with a Baja California accent, complained about the video on the Reforma.com website that shows a timeline with AMLO’s statements asking to take it easy on Covid-19 and the evolution of contagion and deaths from the virus in the country.

“Your company uploaded a video denigrating, well, almost mocking the President of the Republic,” he exclaimed. “That’s why we’re making this call because what you’re doing has crossed the line.” The man asked to pass on his message to the Editor-in-Chief, warning that, if they don’t stop, “We are going to act against you. Tell him to stop defaming the President of the Republic, that he (the editor) is betraying its Homeland because, if he doesn’t stop, the offices of your fucking newspaper, we are going to blow them up”, he threatens. “Just tell them what I told you there are only a few days left”.

The Sinaloa Cartel was operated by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, now a prisoner in the United States. In October last year, federal forces arrested Ovidio Guzmán, son of “El Chapo,” in Sinaloa. Still, hours later, he was released on government orders.

In the graph published yesterday in the Grupo REFORMA newspapers, which gives rise to the video, the President’s greeting to the mother of “El Chapo” during a tour of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, on March 29, appears.

From the data registered in REFORMA, it was detected that the call was made from a telephone in Mexicali, Baja California, an entity governed by Moreno native Jaime Bonilla.

In July 2012, three suburban editions of EL NORTE were attacked by organized crime during 19 consecutive days. The most severe attack was when an armed commando entered the offices of the Sierra Madre Edition in San Pedro, threatened a guard, doused the reception area with gasoline, and set it on fire.

Reporters Without Borders, Article 19 and various non-governmental organizations have expressed their concern on many occasions about the violence and insecurity in journalism practice in Mexico. This is one more proof.

López Obrador has never wanted to act against drug trafficking and its workers. For years AMLO has traveled the country, including the most violent areas, without being the object of any aggression to him or his entourage. In contrast, dozens of other politicians have been assassinated.

We leave one question open: What can we expect when the person who most defames and promotes division and aggression against journalists in Mexico is the President?