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Is Dr. López Gatell interested in a career in politics?

Off the Record features fact-checked news written by journalists and contributors to EL UNIVERSAL

Dr. López Gatell, an epidemiologist, has been in charge of handling the COVID-19 outbreak in Mexico - Photo: Berenice Fregoso/EL UNIVERSAL 
25/03/2020 |11:07
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Is Dr. López Gatell interested in a career in politics?

We’ve been told that Dr. López Gatell can’t wait for COVID-19 crisis to be over since it seems like an important political career awaits him, perhaps as part of the ruling party. Scientists have said that López Gatell is losing the respect of the scientific community since he has decided to act as a politician and not as an expert . We’ve been told that after denying Mexico had entered the second phase of the contingency on March 23 but declaring it the following day shows that Hugo López Gatell makes announcements thinking more like a politician than as a scientist. Moreover, López Gatell likely informs the President about every move he makers but the fact that he announced phase 2 when he was next to the President makes the Dr. lose some credibility but wins him many political points that set him on phase 3, on the way to a very promising political career.

Morena vs. Sergio Mayer

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We’ve been told that in the lower chamber , Morena , the ruling party, are getting ready to attack lawmaker Sergio Mayer . Last weekend, the former actor and singer urged President López Obrador to cancel his trips , mass events, and not to shake hands or kiss his supporters so now Morena members and allies are angry at Mayer. So far, the Morena lawmaker has received several messages threatening to kick him out as the head of the Culture and Film Commission in the lower chamber. So Sergio Mayer became on outcast asfter making some suggestions to the President.

The pandepic won’t stop Morena and the PAN from fighting 

In the Senate, the feud between Morena , the ruling party, and the PAN , the opposition, keeps on scalating. Morena memers are accusing PAN members of political opportunism in regards to COVID-19 . Morena senators claim PAN members broke an agreement to work during the second phase of the coronavirus contingency ; the agreement was made after the PAN wanted to stop working during the first phase and Morena refused to stop working. Now, Morena and other parliamentary groups want to stop working but PAN senators refuse to and are pushing to work from home but other parties rejected the proposal. Morena senators argue that PAN senators Xóchitl Gálvez and Damián Zepeda are pushing Mauricio Kuri to break any agreement. The thing is that the two parties are clashing, even during a contingency.

Minister María Luisa Albores has a huge responsibility 

We’ve been told that during this crisis sparked by COVID-19 , President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ordered the Wellbeing Ministry to make sure 8 million senior citizens receive their pension on time, as well as receiving healthcare . Nevertheless, we’ve been told Minister María Luisa Albores might have trouble fulfilling the orders as the ministry hasn’t been able to distribute all the money and that in some cases, some people haven’t received their pensions. Not to pressure her, but Minister Albores has to fulfill Mexico’s most important welfare plan.

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