Mexican President Ogah Was Blamed For Leaking Journalists' Numbers Investigating Drug Cartels In Mexico

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. (Instagram @lopezobrador)

JAKARTA - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated that his act of leaking the personal cell phone number of journalists who served as head of the United States (US) media bureau, the New York Times in Mexico, was not a mistake.

The leak of the personal number occurred when Lopez Obrador showed a list of questions asked by journalist Natalie Kitrooff. He showed it during a press conference on Thursday 22 February.

The list of questions addressed to state government agencies contains an investigation by the US Narcotics Agency (DEA) into the alleged connection of Lopez Obrador with a drug cartel in Mexico.

"This issue is related to the honor of the Mexican president at stake, and I represent a country, representing the people who deserve respect," said Lopez Obrador, confiscated by Anadolu via Antara.

"... we are not criminals, we have moral authority and no one should arbitrarily accuse us," he said.

Lopez Obrador said his actions revealed Kitrooff's information should not be questioned because it was carried out in the name of freedom.

"There should be no higher limit or law than a noble principle of freedom. It is forbidden to prohibit it," he said.

The New York Times finally published the report on February 22, although it did not include any evidence to strengthen the allegations against Lopez Obrador.

The New York Times responded to the Mexican leader's actions by expressing harsh criticism.

"This is an alarming and unacceptable tactic by a country leader amid rising cases of threats against journalists," the US daily said via its official account on X, or Twitter, on February 22.

The US non-profit Organization of the Journalists Protection Committee (CPJ) also expressed its support for Kitrooff.

CPJ condemned Lopez Obrador's actions in leaking personal information from journalists, amid an increase in violence against the profession perpetrators in Mexico.

"The CPJ is deeply concerned about the statement by Mexican President Lopez Obrador regarding the New York Times news and his actions in revealing the personal cell phone number of the New York Times Chief Mexican Bureau Natalie Kitrooff to the public," the organization said in a statement.

The National Institute for Transparency, Information Access and Personal Data Protection (INAI), the government agency responsible for the protection of personal data in Mexico, also said it would begin an investigation into Lopez Obrador's actions.