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Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan and the lower house of Congress’ approval of a constitutional bill that seeks to eliminate seven watchdog agencies were among the topics President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her morning press conference on Thursday.
Water was an overarching theme of the president’s presser as the director general of the National Water Commission presented the federal government’s new National Water Plan.
‘We don’t agree with migrants being treated like criminals’
Early in her engagement with reporters, Sheinbaum was asked about Trump’s plan to use the military to carry out his proposed mass deportation operation.
“First, clearly, we don’t agree with migrants being treated like criminals,” she said.
Sheinbaum subsequently said that Mexican officials will highlight to members of Trump’s transition team “the importance of the work” that Mexicans do in the United States.
She said that officials will also attend meetings with Trump’s team armed with information about how much Mexicans pay in tax in the United States. The United States needs Mexican workers, the president said.
If Mexicans are deported, “we will welcome” them and “we have a plan for that, but before that, we’re going to work to demonstrate that there is no reason to deport our compatriots who are on the other side of the border,” Sheinbaum said.
“On the contrary they benefit the United States economy,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that no meetings with Trump’s team have been arranged as yet, but told reporters that she was “certain” they would happen.
‘Those who defend INAI to the hilt forgot about the corruption’
In response to a question about the Chamber of Deputies’ approval of a bill that seeks to eliminate seven autonomous government agencies, Sheinbaum focused on the plan to disband the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and the Protection of Personal Data, better known as INAI.
“Those who defend INAI to the hilt forgot about the corruption” in the agency, she told reporters.
The president proceeded to cite examples of corruption and nepotism within INAI that were uncovered by the Federal Auditor’s Office (ASF).
“Workers and ex-workers have reported that high-ranking INAI managers demanded between 10% and 60% of their salaries every two weeks,” Sheinbaum said before highlighting that the ASF also detected cases of relatives of INAI employees being appointed to positions in the institute for which they were not qualified.
She noted that INAI’s responsibilities are set to be taken on by the Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Ministry (formerly called the Ministry of Public Administration).
“There will be more transparency … [and] there won’t be corruption. … Personal data will be protected,” Sheinbaum said.
“And we’re going to create mechanisms to make transparency mandatory for all ministries,” she said, adding that it will be easy for citizens to obtain information about “everything the government of Mexico does.”
Invitations aplenty
Sheinbaum told reporters that she received “invitations to go to various places” while she was at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro earlier this week.
“We even received an invitation to go to China. We received invitations to go to France, to Korea, to Vietnam. … And we also made invitations,” she said.
Sheinbaum said she would consider the invitations to visit foreign countries but stressed that her “main job” is in Mexico.
By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])