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A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 21 March 2020
Mexico's president in no hurry to confront virus outbreak

By PETER ORSI and we, instead of seek-
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Many ing safety, are playing on
countries in Latin America the beach," Berruga Filloy
have taken aggressive wrote.
measures to deal with the Like in other countries, Mex-
coronavirus such as closing ico's stock market has been
their borders, dock and air- hit hard by coronavirus
ports to foreigners, declar- concerns. The peso has slid
ing states of emergencies precipitously, trading over
and ordering business shut- 24 to the dollar at times this
downs. week for the first time in his-
Mexico, by contrast, has tory.
so far taken a "business Alfredo Coutiño of Moody's
as usual" attitude. People Analytics said Mexico's
still crowd street markets markets "are now realizing
picking through piles of that the country is facing a
fruit and vegetables. Cars higher risk of contamination
and trucks continue to fill by the coronavirus" with the
the streets and commut- Mexican economy already
ers throng subway trains, weak.
though the volume of traf- Despite assurances from
fic is noticeably lower. officials, Mexico and its
President Andrés Manuel health system are showing
López Obrador and his gov- "real vulnerability," Coutiño
ernment have said a shut- said.
down of the country would He said investors particu-
disproportionately hurt larly don't like the lack of
poor people and also be a government measures to
psychological weight on all protect the economy and
Mexicans. They say there is the people. "Fiscal and
no reason to impose major monetary policies are run-
restrictions before health ning far behind the curve,"
officials deem them neces- Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador gives his daily news conference at the presi- he said.
dential palace in Mexico City, early Thursday, March 19, 2020.
sary — a moment they are Associated Press National Action senators
expecting in late March, proposed a package of
based on the virus' pattern "I think that what he has mended by international sion begins — and Mexican measures this week that
elsewhere and the Feb. 27 wound up doing is minimiz- and domestic health ex- officials make no secret would include measures
date of Mexico's first con- ing the risks associated with perts. that they know it is coming, such as lowering interest
firmed case. the emergency, and send- Some large events have sooner rather than later — rates, stimulating home
The approach is worrying ing messages that contra- been called off, yet others the country is likely to see construction and infrastruc-
many experts. dict what is being said al- such as a multi-day music more aggressive measures. ture, reactivating private in-
But it is the president's per- most everywhere else." festival attended by tens "We are prepared. We vestment in the energy sec-
sonal attitude that has Mex- Mexico reported its first of thousands in Mexico City have enough budget. All tor and transferring money
icans puzzled. He contin- death from the virus were allowed to proceed. the resources we need," to the Health Department.
ues to attend mass public Wednesday — a 41-year- Federal officials recom- López Obrador said Thurs- But López Obrador is
rallies, shaking hands and old man said to have been mend that "non-essential" day. known for a visceral dislike
kissing babies. Asked how obese and suffering from gatherings should not be Some, however, are begin- of spending and deficits.
he was protecting Mexico, diabetes. As of late Thurs- larger than 5,000 people, ning to be nervous about López-Gatell displayed the
López Obrador removed day, the country has 164 while local authorities in the the lack of response now, administration's attitude
two religious amulets from confirmed cases of coro- capital have said events including among the presi- Thursday when he said ev-
his wallet and proudly navirus, up from just over 40 topping 1,000 people dent's political opposition. erything is going according
showed them off. a week ago. should be canceled. The conservative National to plan.
"The protective shield is the Still, Hugo López-Gatell, Mexico has only 5,000 Action Party sent a letter to "All of the scenarios that
'Get thee behind me, Sa- deputy secretary in the emergency beds, and the Pan American Health we foresaw for what was
tan,'" López Obrador said, Health Ministry and the ad- about 1,500 intensive care Organization on Thursday going to happen, are hap-
reading off the inscription ministration's public face or sealed rooms, for a pop- expressing its "deep con- pening," he said. "This will
on the amulet, "Stop, en- of López Obrador's coro- ulation of over 125 million, cern about the govern- allow us to keep to a well-
emy, for the Heart of Jesus navirus response team, but officials still exude a ment's actions in the face planned, well-calculated
is with me." said the country remains in sense of calm at their daily of the COVID-19 pandem- technical plan of action."
López Obrador, often de- what it calls phase 1 of the briefings on the virus. And ic." López Obrador, who enjoys
scribed as a leftist, is in fact epidemic, with all cases re- some observers say they Former diplomat Enrique approval ratings that would
a nationalist with deep reli- lated to importation from are chilled by remarks like Berruga Filloy said in a col- be the envy of many a
gious feelings. other countries and no López Obrador's. umn for the newspaper El world leader, said Thursday
"I think President López Ob- community transmission. "I think this has shown a Universal on Thursday that that military medical work-
rador is trying to project Federal officials have sus- lack of respect by the presi- Mexico's geographic ad- ers and installations would
confidence and minimize pended classes for about dent," said Carlos Padilla, vantages gave it more be part of the pandemic
the risk," said Jesus Silva- a month beginning after a Mexico City business leeway to plan for the virus response. But he ruled
Herzog, a political com- Friday's school sessions and administrator. "I think he and take timely actions, out any curfew or troop
mentator and professor at are encouraging things like should be doing a better but that the administra- deployments, saying he
the Tecnológico de Mon- social distancing, working job of protecting the pub- tion has squandered the wanted nothing to do with
terrey University. from home and following lic, in every sense." chance. tough measures that could
But, Silva-Herzog added, hygienic measures recom- Once community transmis- "The tsunami is coming be seen as authoritarian.q