Mexican president blasts European leaders for ‘authoritarian urge’ over harsh Covid-19 lockdowns

By imposing lockdowns to stem the second wave of the coronavirus, EU leaders are showing a lack of faith in their citizens and putting themselves above the people, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Lopez Obrador was asked if Mexico was planning to introduce restrictions to tackle the spread of the virus similar to those already in place in some European countries, including France, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic.

“No to using coercive measures,” the president responded. “This is not resolved with that.”

The introduction of tough restrictions reveals “an authoritarian urge by the authorities, by the government, with all due respect, on the part of those who opt for this,” he insisted.

Curfews aren’t a sign of faith in people. It’s putting yourself above as authority and seeing citizens as children, like they don’t understand.

Lopez Obrador added that “not even in its worst moments did Europe have these curfews and all these measures.”

While assuring people that he will not introduce any lockdown, he called on Mexicans to adhere to social distancing, act responsibly and wash their hands often, as coronavirus cases have been on the rise in some parts of the country.

Mexico has so far registered more than 901,000 coronavirus cases and 89,800 deaths due to Covid-19. However, the authorities have acknowledged that the total case and fatality numbers could be significantly higher.

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