Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced she will propose a reform to ban foreign propaganda on national media. The move follows backlash over U.S. government ads aired in Mexico showing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warning illegal migrants they will be “hunted” and deported. Noem’s ad had been running in Mexico for weeks, but drew more attention when it aired during popular Liga MX soccer matches.
Sheinbaum criticized the ads as “highly discriminatory" and said the U.S. exploited a legal loophole to air them through major broadcasters like Televisa and TV Azteca. Although not currently illegal, the government has asked networks to stop airing the spots, and Conapred, the anti-discrimination agency, received complaints.
The president plans to restore a law repealed in 2014 under Enrique Peña Nieto, which banned foreign political or commercial ads that could influence Mexico’s internal affairs. Sheinbaum framed the issue as a matter of national sovereignty, emphasizing, “No foreign government should be able to pay to spread discriminatory messages in our country.”
Post-Trump US should do the same.
If you are broadcasting talking points exactly identical to those in Russian (or Chinese, or Saudi) state-controlled media, you’re not exercising your free speech rights, you are a propagandist and should be treated as such.
Well done Mexico. Let’s hope this trend of fighting back against the US continues. Huge fan of the Mexican president right now. Wish she was out president in the states. Hell, I wish a coma patient were in charge right now. Things would be more stable.
I saw those ads in Canada too and I’m sick of them
We have great examples from a certain country, to show that “allowing unlimited money in politics = free speech” is bad. There will be disingenuous ‘slippery slope’ arguments to it but the types of campaigns that this rule is meant to stop is clearly defined and limited.
This sort of thing needs to capture social media too. And I want it in Canada too.
Common Mexico W
