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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 3 OcTOber 2024
Mexico’s Sheinbaum keeps doing morning briefings, though her

style is unlike her predecessor’s

By FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ press conference with a
Associated Press governmental apology on
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi- the 56th anniversary of the
co’s new President Claudia Oct. 2, 1968 army massacre
Sheinbaum started her day of student pro-democracy
Wednesday much like her protesters in Mexico City’s
political mentor, ex-Presi- Tlatelolco square in which
dent Andrés Manuel López as many as 300 people
Obrador, began most of were killed.
his: with an early morning Sheinbaum revealed that
news briefing from the Na- her mother had participat-
tional Palace. ed in the movement and
López Obrador’s news brief- had been expelled from a
ings, known as the “ma- state-run university in retali-
ñaneras,” were marathon ation.
affairs, featuring folksy dia- “I have said before, I am
logue, verbal jousting with a child of ‘68,” Sheinbaum
the press, and, frequently, said, calling her memories
long history lessons. His of the period when she
oratorical skills turned his was 6 years old “something
2 1/2-hour-long daily ma- very painful.”
ñaneras into a powerful During his presidency, which
political weapon. concluded Monday, the
Sheinbaum kept her morn- 70-year-old López Obrador
ing briefing shorter, less Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum gives a media briefing from the National Palace in Mexico held daily briefings Monday
combative and more con- City, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, the morning after her inauguration. through Friday, combining
cise, in keeping with her Associated Press jokes and harshness and,
character as a scientist Mexico that many thought la of her mentor she has open with announcements often, attacking journalists
and academic. she would try to defuse. promised to continue virtu- and then take questions critical of his administra-
She said she would keep Sheinbaum also continued ally everything he did. She from journalists. tion, publishing reporters’
some of her predecessor’s López Obrador’s efforts to will hope to set the press’s In Wednesday’s first press phone numbers and per-
fixtures, like a weekly seg- downplay drug cartel vio- daily agenda just as López conference, Sheinbaum sonal financial data. But
ment attacking what she lence in the northern state Obrador did throughout his was a bit more punctual in Sheinbaum, a 62-year-old
called media “lies” about of Sinaloa, saying it was not presidency. her responses and, unlike scientist-turned-politician,
the government. The new among the states with the After her June 2 election López Obrador, didn’t use has another style.
president also continued highest number of murders victory, the former Mexico questions as a pretext for “As a communicator she’s
a diplomatic dispute with this week. City mayor began hold- half-hour discourses on ob- different,” said Roy Cam-
Spain which has refused to It’s no surprise that Shein- ing midday news briefings scure chapters of Mexican pos, president of the poll-
apologize for abuses dur- baum decided to continue that concluded within half history. ing company Consulta-Mi-
ing the 1500s conquest of with the successful formu- an hour. Sheinbaum would But she did open her first tofsky. q

Christmas starts in Venezuela, but the

festive mood is nowhere to be found

By REGINA GARCIA CANO it’s October,” said Desiré of Christmas because so
and JUAN PABLO ARRAEZ Aguiar, 32, before setting many put a new coat on
Associated Press up her jewelry and ac- their walls.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) cessories booth in a local These days, however, mea-
— It doesn’t feel like Christ- market. “Halloween hasn’t ger wages and bonuses
mas in Venezuela. At least even passed, and it’s al- resulting from the country’s
not yet. Even if the presi- ready Christmas? Are we economic collapse have
dent wants it to be. celebrating them togeth- turned the season into a
Residents of Caracas, the er?” time of have and have-
capital, woke up Tuesday Venezuelans, particularly nots.
to a towering Christmas those who remember life And this year, the season People set up Christmas decorations in Caracas, Venezuela,
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
tree standing in a popular at the turn of the centu- arrived amid a collective Associated Press
public square, weeks after ry, have long associated pessimism that followed the
President Nicolás Maduro Christmas with careless July 28 election. bonus payments this year. ro’s decree across social
declared the jolly season shopping and bulging wal- “If they start paying... the Maduro, whom electoral media, but on the streets,
would start earlier this year lets thanks to profit-sharing Christmas bonus in ad- authorities handed a third few dared to say anything
in the South American and holiday bonuses em- vance, we won’t have six-year term, surprised the about the decision anoth-
country. ployers paid at the end of anything left in Decem- country on Sept. 2 when he er sign of the chilling effect
Workers rushed to set up the year. Employees often ber,” Aguiar lamented. “I declared on state televi- resulting from the repres-
decorations in various received three times their think it’s a really bad idea.” sion that the Christmas sea- sion campaign unleashed
neighborhoods, but the monthly salary all at once. It remains unclear whether son would start earlier than by the government af-
mood was far from festive. The smell of fresh paint public and private employ- ever. ter the highly anticipated
“I think it’s terrible because even signaled the arrival ers will make changes to Mockery followed Madu- election.q