Mexican President’s coronavirus missteps come at great risk

When my plane landed in Mexico City from Mérida on March 15, I was on my way to my apartment to self-quarantine. The World Health Organization had declared coronavirus a global pandemic just days before — and many countries were closing their borders to prevent its spread — so it seemed like the responsible thing to do after traveling, even within Mexico.

But when I turned on my phone, I was flooded with messages and photos from friends enjoying the Vive Latino outdoor music festival among some 40,000 attendees. I was upset and worried, though not surprised because, at that point, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had not yet decided to cancel any large events in Mexico due to coronavirus.

As I passed through the Mexico City airport, I saw no signs that measures were being taken to screen passengers for fever. Again, while this disturbed me, it didn’t shock me. López Obrador had followed in US President Donald Trump’s footsteps in terms of initially downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus.

The Mexican President’s poor leadership, which has been on display for weeks, has now placed Mexico in a precarious position — with a looming health crisis and no clear plan in place to address it. As of now, the country has relatively few cases, especially compared to its neighbor to the north. But, according to Bloomberg, there are concerns over adequate testing, which means the reported numbers may conceal a much larger problem on the horizon.

For background, on March 4, López Obrador responded to news of the global spread of the coronavirus by telling Mexicans, “This idea that you can’t hug. You have to hug. Nothing happens.” Compounding the issue of his statements was the fact that López Obrador had made serious cuts to the very institutions that would be needed to respond to coronavirus. In 2019, as a part of austerity measures, his government cut funding to hospitals and medical centers by $120.7 million. This decision has contributed to the fear that doctors and nurses, who are working in understaffed hospitals without appropriate protective gear or supplies, are now experiencing.

Dr. Francisco Moreno, who is overseeing Covid-19 patients in one of Mexico City’s hospitals, said in a recent interview with the New York Times, “You have all the facts to know that this is going to be as bad as Italy or worse.” And, as a health crisis nears, many Mexican citizens question why López Obrador has ignored recommendations made by doctors and scientists.

Over the past few weeks, López Obrador has continued to hold political events around Mexico, and photos of him kissing and hugging children have gone viral on social media, as citizens and journalists questioned the example he was setting by seemingly not taking any safety precautions.

In response, López Obrador, seemingly defiant, posted videos of himself on Twitter, holding large events where he continued to hug and kiss supporters. He further declared, “I have faith that we will get our beloved Mexico through. Misfortunes, pandemics, nothing like that will do us any harm.” On March 14, López Obrador reiterated his commitment to ignoring social distancing by posting on Twitter a video of himself at a political event hugging and kissing citizens in Guerrero.

While countries like South Korea have administered some 15,000 coronavirus tests per day, Mexico, as of March 23, was registering 111 per day, according to the Mexican government. In Mexico, according to Milenio News, one hospital in Mexico City is charging over $250 for a test to people who exhibit symptoms of fever, dry cough and a headache. But that price is not affordable to the 53% of Mexico’s population that, according to the Gramen Foundation, live on less than $2 a day. And, among the 257 journalists the Whatsapp “COVID-19 Coverage Mexico” group I am a part of, several have exchanged information about the symptoms they are experiencing and the difficulty of getting tested.

Meanwhile, López Obrador, on March 22 said, “Let’s continue living life normally.” Then he added, “If you’re able and have the means to do so, continue taking your family out to eat … because that strengthens the economy.”

Members of López Obrador’s own administration have begun to challenge him publicly. At a press conference on March 26, López Obrador announced that by April 19 social distancing would end because the country would have “overcome the worst of Covid-19.” The Minister of Health, Hugo López Gatell, who was sitting nearby, added, “more or less,” which upset the President, who responded, “What did you say?”

Despite the Mexican President’s downplaying of the virus, other government officials are beginning to take steps to mitigate the threat of coronavirus. On March 24, Mexico’s deputy health minister announced social distancing measures and, on March 25, the federal government announced that it would suspend all non-essential activities beginning Thursday. Meanwhile, Mexico’s Public Education Secretary decided to close schools nationwide from March 20 through April 20.

And in a surprising twist, on Friday, López Obrador said that he had signed an order to give the Ministry of Health the means to acquire medical equipment to face the coronavirus pandemic.

Given Mexico’s underfunded and understaffed medical system, the reported lack of coronavirus tests and the weeks the President spent encouraging citizens to act in defiance of social distancing, only time will tell the price that Mexican citizens will pay. But regardless of the outcome, one thing is clear — López Obrador failed, at least initially, to uphold his duty to protect the Mexican people.