Telemundo News jumped at the chance of serving as spokespersons for the Mexican government on Tuesday, airing what amounted to endorsements for socialist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s “diplomatic offensive” to counter the Lindsey Graham/Dan Crenshaw proposed legislations regarding the Mexican drug cartels.
Speaking before the cameras during the network’s midday news edition, anchor Nacho Lozano and correspondent Issa Osorio, fully complied with AMLO’s instructions- delivered via Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to the 52 consuls of Mexico in the U.S.- to run an information campaign against attacks by Republicans and inform what Mexico is doing against drug trafficking.
Watch as Telemundo pitched in to AMLO’s campaign to defend Mexico in the United States with a ‘report’ that prioritizes political agendas over the safety and well-being of American citizens dealing with the deadly consequences of an open border through which tons of fentanyl (and other drugs) flow into the nation:
NACHO LOZANO: Mexico launched a diplomatic offensive to counter one from a sector of the Republican Party committed to fighting drug trafficking by sending U.S. troops to Mexico. Issa Osorio, tell us what the Foreign Minister of Mexico has done. Go ahead.
ISSA OSORIO: Hi Nacho. Mexican diplomacy has taken measures against last week's Republican offensive to send military personnel to Mexico to fight the drug cartels. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard traveled to Washington and met with the 52 consuls of Mexico in that country, as well as with Esteban Moctezuma, the ambassador of Mexico; and instructed them to run an information campaign against attacks by Republicans.
(....)
OSORIO: In addition, Ebrard asked the consuls to inform the Mexican government’s efforts against drug trafficking.
(....)
LOZANO: Thank you very much, Issa. And with regard to this meeting that you mention between the ambassador of the United States in Mexico and representatives of the legislature, also in Mexico, with President López Obrador, it must be said that they talked, this group of politicians, about progress in the war against fentanyl, and we, of course, will be reporting on it later. And we will follow up on this.
“Mexico launched a diplomatic offensive to counter one from a sector of the Republican Party that bets on sending U.S. troops to Mexico to fight drug trafficking,” began anchor Nacho Lozano before moving on to correspondent Issa Osorio reporting directly from Mexico City.
While the Telemundo team focused on the ‘diplomatic offensive’ against Republicans for proposing that U.S. troops join the war against the cartels in Mexico, they omitted details of the efforts to declare Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, a move that would benefit border states and law enforcement authorities with more funds and resources. The designation would also give the United States – AND MEXICO – more power to dismantle the extremely violent drug cartels.
But no. Telemundo chose to parrot AMLO’s official press release:
This afternoon, on the instructions of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard met in Washington, D.C. with Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma and the 52 Mexican consuls in the U.S., telling them to begin a widespread information campaign in defense of our country after the unacceptable attacks by legislators and former officials of the Republican Party.
Osorio was quick to mention – without any further context – that AMLO had met with Ken Salazar, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Republican Jason Smith “who reiterated that it is unacceptable for Mexico to interfere in U.S. elections.”
Smith referred to AMLO’s explicit pledge to warn Mexicans and Hispanics to generally not vote for Republicans if they continued to pursue the use of military force against the drug cartels.
To close the pro AMLO advertorial Lozano mentioned that in the meeting, the ambassador of the United States in Mexico, representatives of the legislature – also in Mexico – and President López Obrador, talked about progress in the war against fentanyl, something that Univision "of course, will be reporting on later."
The only progress we are seeing in the war against fentanyl is in the number of Americans overdosing on the drug – a whopping 80,000 a year. In the meantime, at MRC Latino we’ll be looking forward to seeing – and sharing with you – Telemundo’s follow-ups on the “progress in the war against fentanyl.”
Press on ´Expand´ to view the complete transcript of the segment mentioned above as aired by the midday news edition of Telemundo News on Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Noticias Telemundo Mediodía
March 14, 2023
12:37 p.m. EasternNACHO LOZANO: Mexico launched a diplomatic offensive to counter one from a sector of the Republican Party committed to fighting drug trafficking by sending U.S. troops to Mexico. Issa Osorio, tell us what the Foreign Minister of Mexico has done. Go ahead.
ISSA OSORIO: Hi Nacho. Mexican diplomacy has taken measures against last week's Republican offensive to send military personnel to Mexico to fight drug cartels. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard traveled to Washington and met with the 52 consuls of Mexico in that country, as well as with Esteban Moctezuma, the ambassador of Mexico; and instructed them to conduct an information campaign against attacks by Republicans. All this as a result of the Republican’s proposal that the United States army take action here, in Mexican territory, a proposal that’s been renewed after the kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and the murder of two of them at the hands of criminal groups.
MARCELO EBRARD: "We are not going to allow them to run over Mexico, what these gentlemen are saying is almost invading Mexico
OSORIO: In addition, Ebrard asked the consuls to report on the workings of the government of Mexico against drug trafficking.
EBRARD: I mean, if we don't react... then what do we need to react? What do they do? We have to tell them "no sir, that’s not going to happen here."
OSORIO: Yesterday President López Obrador met with Ambassador Ken Salazar and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Republican Jason Smith who reiterated that it is unacceptable for Mexico to interfere in U.S. elections. And this morning President Andrés Manuel López Obrador emphasized that the foreign minister is in charge of ensuring that there is a good relationship between Mexico and the United States. That’s the information Nacho, back to you.
LOZANO: Thank you very much, Issa. And with regard to this meeting that you mention between the ambassador of the United States in Mexico and representatives of the legislature also in Mexico with President López Obrador, it must be said that they were talking, this group of politicians, about progress in the fight against fentanyl and we, of course, will be reporting on it later. And we will follow up on this.
