(MENAFN) Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador recently bristled at the United States State Department's accusations of human rights abuses in Mexico. The Biden administration claimed that Mexican authorities have engaged in unlawful killings, forced disappearances, torture, and inhumane treatment of civilians. Additionally, the State Department criticized Mexico for its corruption, rampant crime, and low prosecution rates.
At a press briefing in Oaxaca, Lopez Obrador angrily dismissed the allegations, calling them "not true" and accusing the United States of lying about his country's record on human rights. He went on to say that he did not believe it was worth getting angry about the accusations.
Lopez Obrador's comments come at a time when relations between Mexico and the United States have been strained by a series of kidnappings of United States citizens in northern Mexico. In one case, two people were killed by a group associated with a drug cartel. These incidents have raised concerns about the safety of US citizens traveling to Mexico and have put pressure on the Mexican government to take action to address the issue.
Later on Tuesday, Lopez Obrador was scheduled to meet with former United States Secretary of State John Kerry, who is now Biden's climate envoy. It remains to be seen if the human rights issue will be on the agenda for their meeting, but it is clear that the accusations have put a strain on the relationship between the two countries.
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