Sheinbaum disagrees with Taibo; TV Azteca will not be nationalized

MEXICO CITY (apro) .- The Mexican government is not considering nationalizing TV Azteca channels, said President Claudia Sheinbaum, while defending the freedom of Paco Ignacio Taibo II, director of the Fondo de Cultura Económica (FCE), to express this proposal.

Taibo's comments come amid friction between Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the station's owner, and the government since former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as well as legislative changes regarding telecommunications.

What the federal leader did say she was in favor of was allowing the millionaire to pay the taxes he has deferred through legal action.

"What we do say is that he should pay his taxes, yes, but there is freedom of expression. Paco still has the right to say what he thinks, he has the right, and anyone has the right to say what they think," he said.

Regarding the topic raised by Taibo, he stated: "There is freedom of expression and everyone can speak their mind. The owner of TV Azteca also says many things. This doesn't mean that we agree with what Paco says. What Paco is saying isn't our intention."

When asked if he agreed with the FCE director's approach, he replied: "No, that's not the Mexican government's intention, but there is freedom of expression."

The federal president then took aim at Azteca's content, especially its government news, although she did so to illustrate that freedom of expression is for everyone, which has also been called into question by the federal government's telecommunications initiative.

"Listen to this television station. If we set up a lie detector dedicated to the station, we wouldn't finish every morning show. It's lie after lie, after lie, after lie, but there is freedom of expression."

At the end of his remarks, he reiterated: "We're not thinking about that. We're not thinking about nationalizing any television station, but we can't agree that there should be freedom of expression for some and not for others. Either there's free expression or there isn't, and we're in favor of free expression, and he can express his opinions; he has the right."

The FCE director made these statements within the framework of the Morena National Council, questioning why this discussion isn't taking place "for reasons of national health."