Sheinbaum attacks opposition, defends prisoner release and renaming proposals

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has sharply criticized opposition critics, accusing them of distorting her initiatives on early prisoner releases and the renaming of a historical landmark.

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They say, 'The president wants to free organized crime prisoners, a narco-government.' Ah, but here we say that we have had more than almost 70,000 people linked to crime, among all authorities, 'oh no, that doesn't count.' That the president said she proposes that Paso de Cortés be called Paso de los Pueblos Indígenas: 'Oh, authoritarian, possessor of absolute truth.' No? that's what they say, can't they be a little creative?

During a press conference, Sheinbaum addressed accusations that her early release proposal aims to free organized crime members. She countered that her administration has linked nearly 70,000 individuals to criminal activity. She emphasized that the early release plan specifically targets elderly inmates with minor offenses who have not received sentences, as well as indigenous women who struggled to access legal defense due to language barriers.

"What do you think about a person with low income who has to pay 3,000 pesos, doesn't have the resources to pay it to get out of jail? Are they helped or not? When their crime was a minor theft," Sheinbaum stated, highlighting the plight of those without means to pay for legal recourse. She also pointed to cases where individuals have spent 15 years awaiting sentencing for minor offenses, advocating for legal opportunities for their release upon serving their sentences.

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What do you think about a person with low income who has to pay 3,000 pesos, doesn't have the resources to pay it to get out of jail? Are they helped or not? When their crime was a minor theft?

Sheinbaum also defended her proposal to rename Paso de Cortés to Paso de los Pueblos Indígenas. She argued that continuing to "worship" Cortés ignores the historical atrocities, including massacres like the one in Cholula, committed during the Spanish conquest. She questioned why Mexico should continue to honor figures associated with such violence, framing the renaming as a necessary historical revision that respects indigenous dignity and memory, contrasting it with attempts by some to erase figures like the Niños Héroes or El Pípila from history.

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Why should Mexico continue to worship Cortés? (...) It's good that this discussion is happening: 'oh, revisionist' revisionist? When they are the ones who say that history should not be reviewed.