Political Controversy in Mexico Over Senator’s Threat to Journalist
A senator from Mexico’s ruling MORENA party is facing significant backlash after threatening a journalist who revealed cartel connections linked to a fellow senator. This senator is currently campaigning for the governor’s position in Baja California.
The situation escalated this week when news anchor Enrique Acevedo from NMas+ aired a report detailing how Mexican Senator Julieta Ramirez had entered into a proffer agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, as part of an investigation into politicians connected to drug cartels. Notably, Ramirez was among several politicians from MORENA who had their U.S. visas revoked due to alleged cartel ties.
The conflict intensified when MORENA Senator Luis Fernando Salazar defended his colleague via social media, issuing a threat toward Acevedo. In a now-deleted tweet, Salazar insinuated that Acevedo had been bribed and ominously stated, “vamos a ir tras de ti” (We are coming for you).
Acevedo responded by highlighting the seriousness of Salazar’s threat, noting the perilous environment for journalists in Mexico, where attacks and killings for simply doing their jobs are unfortunately common.
In the report by NMas+, journalists Alejandra Barriguete and Luis Villegas included visuals of the proffer agreement, suggesting that Ramirez had agreed to collaborate with U.S. prosecutors in exchange for potential leniency in the ongoing federal investigation.
