In the final debate before the presidential election on June 2nd, the three candidates vying for Mexico's presidency answered questions from the moderator and used abusive language in an attempt to persuade the country's approximately 100 million registered voters. did.
Claudia Sheinbaum, candidate of the ruling Morena party. her main rival and opposition coalition candidate Xoshitl Galvez; and Civic Movement candidate Jorge Álvarez Maínez each opened their speeches at Mexico City's Tlatelolco University with a clear message for voters.
Álvarez Mines promised to strengthen social programs, Gálvez declared himself a defender of “life, truth, and liberty,” and front-runner Sheinbaum used the opportunity to suggest that the Mexican military would He brought up the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre, which occurred under the command of President' killed hundreds of college students who were protesting against police repression. In this election, Mr. Gálvez will represent the Political Party Revolutionary Institute (PRI).
Then came a shower of attacks and a ton of promises. Mr. Galvez said he would double scholarships so that 1 million young people can attend college, while Mr. Mynes promised to provide scholarships to everyone. Sheinbaum provided 1 million homes for young people, and Galvez provided 5 million homes. Mr. Sheinbaum also promised to create a new mega-pharmacy and train thousands more specialists, while Mr. Galvez promised to build a national health care system that would ensure that all women with cancer receive appropriate treatment. Announced. Álvarez Mines offered to equip police officers and guarantee them a “living wage,” and promised to rank Mexico among the “ten largest economies of the world.” Mr. Sheinbaum asserted that the Constitution requires that the minimum wage always rise above the rate of inflation.
However, neither candidate elaborated on the specifics of how all of these proposals would be implemented.
Personal attacks continued during the meeting. “While you were dancing ballet at age 10, I had to work,” Ms. Galvez told Sheinbaum. Sen. Galvez, who is indigenous, repeatedly called Sheinbaum a “lying candidate.” In response, Sheinbaum, a climatologist and former Mexico City mayor, accused Galvez of “gassing police officers with disinfectant.” And Alvarez Mines criticized both for not giving concrete answers to “the questions we ask ourselves.”
The debate was divided into four segments, with candidates discussing social policy. Insecurity, organized crime, immigration, foreign policy, and democracy, separation of powers, and pluralism.
Unlike the first two debates, the last debate was held behind closed doors. Also missing is the in-person section originally proposed by organizers, which would have resulted in more direct, and perhaps combative, interaction between candidates. Mexican media reported that it was canceled due to alleged pressure from three presidential campaigns.
There are few concrete policy proposals regarding security, which is a top concern for voters.
Regarding security and security, which are the biggest concerns of voters, each candidate used different statistics to advance their arguments. Mr. Sheinbaum said that during his time as Mexico City mayor, residents' feelings of insecurity have decreased by 33%, whereas Mr. Gálvez said that perhaps 80% of the capital's residents feel unsafe and that homicides have increased by 22%. I answered.
Sheinbaum, who spent much of his time talking about the accomplishments of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said the current administration has set Mexico on a path to “zero impunity” for crimes.
But Sheinbaum's statement stands in contrast to figures from an independent organization that studies impunity in Mexico. For example, a report released in October by Mexico Evalua, a public policy analysis center, found that of the more than 2 million criminal investigations initiated by the Attorney General's Office in 2022, only 4% ended in court. Ta.
The center, which has been documenting the backwardness of Mexico's criminal justice system since 2017, says impunity rates average more than 90%, meaning the current law enforcement system solves only 10 out of 100 crimes. means not.
Gálvez is the mother of convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, whom Sheinbaum, who was chosen to succeed López Obrador, spoke to while campaigning in Sinaloa state in 2020. I asked him about his meeting with Maria Consuelo Loera Pérez. Gálvez accused the government of “exposing the country to organized crime.”
But Mr. Sheinbaum, who is leading in opinion polls, has chosen not to respond to this attack or other more personal attacks launched by his main rival.
On the security front, the candidates relied primarily on numbers and numbers to attack each other and defend themselves, rather than offering solutions to address the problem.
Álvarez Mines proposed concrete policy solutions, such as lifting the current prohibitions on drugs such as marijuana, which he said have led to violence in the country and put thousands of people behind bars. Stated. He also proposed decriminalizing abortion. “Never again will a woman go to prison for the decisions she makes about her body, and no young person will ever go to prison for smoking marijuana,” he said.
Avoid the tricky topic of migration
The debate on immigration was largely ignored, and none of the presidential candidates emphasized the issue. Although the three parties differed on what López Obrador's government had accomplished, they agreed on the need for Mexico to take a firm stance against the United States in negotiations for an anti-migration agreement.
Sheinbaum praised the president's accomplishments, saying Mexico had succeeded in getting the United States to “treat us as equals.” Gálvez described López Obrador as a hypocrite, saying that in 2019 he proposed an immigration policy that blocked the flow of migrants through Mexico without requiring the U.S. to legalize undocumented Mexican immigrants who had previously lived in the United States. He agreed to strengthen the deal and accused him of bowing to President Donald Trump.
Echoing López Obrador, Sheinbaum said solutions to migrants passing through Mexican soil include “addressing the structural causes of migration” and moving Central America “so that no one has to migrate.” He emphasized that this includes providing support. Scheinbaum said his own plan is to follow López Obrador's ideas and create a development zone on the southern border, with the possibility of extending the Mayan train into Central America to provide jobs for locals. even suggested.
“Mexico needs to stand firm…especially if a racist like Trump comes to power,” Álvarez Mines said, adding that a former Republican president could be elected in November. mentioned.
But none of the candidates discussed President López Obrador's restrictive policies to prevent thousands of migrants from passing through Mexico toward the United States. Tighter restrictions have led to more migrants using dangerous and deadly clandestine means, such as trailers, to cross the border with Mexico. Country heading to the northern border. According to recent investigations by Noticias Telemundo and other media outlets, this has killed more than 100 people and injured dozens over the past five years.
The truth, NBC News exclusively reports, is that Mexico is detaining nearly three times as many migrants crossing its southern border than it did a year ago, a trend that U.S. officials say is continuing. It is said to be helping to ease the increase in border crossings.
While Mr. Sheinbaum saluted and thanked the millions of American-Mexicans who send money to Mexico each year, Mr. Galvez said that due to inflation and the strength of the Mexican peso, his family could not receive the money. He argued that it was no longer enough. “Before, the basic basket price was $73. The current price is $138,” she said.
After handing out cards to voters in the last debate, it will be up to Mexicans heading to the polls to decide which candidate has emerged victorious.
A previous version of this article first appeared on Noticias Telemundo.
