Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday that advertising director and political analyst Carlos Alazraki, a critic of the president, was “Hitlerite”, urging Mexico’s Jewish community to issue a statement dismissing the comments as “unacceptable”. Lopez Obrador referred to Alazraki after a video was shown during a regular press conference of the latter in a conversation with opposition politicians, who said that Mexico allowed undocumented immigrants from Venezuela to enter a new airport. The government denies it. “He is extremely conservative, like Hitler,” Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday. In a statement, the Jewish community of Mexico rejected the use of the term “Hitlerite” to refer to anyone: “Any comparison to the bloodiest regime in history is sad and unacceptable.” Hitler’s Nazis killed 6 million Jews during World War II. Some Mexican opposition politicians were also attacked. “The president’s comment against Carlos Alazraki not only violates freedom of expression, but is unworthy and indifferent. Calling a prominent member of the Jewish community ‘Hitlerite’ is extremely grotesque and derogatory,” said Sant. in a tweet. . On Thursday, Lopez Obrador returned to the subject during his regular press conference, saying “Alazraki is a follower of Hitler’s thought” and pointing to the head of Nazi propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, and his use of lies to spread lies. “This is the essence of Alazraki’s publicity strategy or propaganda,” said the president, who regularly cites Goebbels as he tries to discredit his critics. The story goes on To put it bluntly, Lopez Obrador showed a short 2021 video clip in which Alazraki said the key to defeating the president’s ruling National Revival Movement (MORENA) was to use lies and propaganda against him. Alazraki told Reuters he did not understand the president’s comments. He said that his comments on the clip were out of context and that he was explaining that in order to compete with MORENA, one had to use propaganda as the party did. Alazraki also posted a video on Twitter on Thursday condemning Lopez Obrador’s statements, stressing his opposition to his policies. He concluded by saying that he forgave the president for the insults “because you do not know what you are doing”. Lopez Obrador noted that he had long-standing differences with Alazraki, but expressed respect for the Jewish community. “I have very good friends in the Jewish community,” he said. (Report by Valentine Hilaire and Dave Graham in Mexico City · Edited by Matthew Lewis)
