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On April 17, news anchor Javier Alatorre told Mexicans to stop paying attention to Dr. Hugo López-Gatell, the epidemiologist leading the fight against COVID-19 .
During his show, Alatorre said, “as every night, Under Secretary López-Gatell led (a news conference) about the number of COVID-19-related deaths in Mexico but his numbers and his conferences have become irrelevant.” Alatorre then said that some governors have discredited the numbers announced by Gatell and mentioned Jaime Bonilla , the Baja California Governor . Alatorre said that Governor Bonilla and local Heath Minister Alonso Pérez said there were more deaths than the ones confirmed by Dr. López Gatell.
Ever since Alatorre called on people to ignore Dr. López-Gatell , he has been criticized, especially on social media.
When Dr. López-Gatell, a prominent scientist and professor , was questioned about Alatorre’s sayings, he said the information released every day is the result of the work of the federal government and each state and thanked healthcare workers for their dedication. López-Gatell said it was an “honor to give voice to thousands of health professionals in the country. It’s a great responsibility.”
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Moreover, the epidemiologist said Mexicans own all the information and said there is total transparency in regards to the COVID-19 epidemic in Mexico.
On April 18, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said his “friend Javier Alatorre” made a mistake when he called people not to follow the recommendations issued by Mexico’s COVID-19 czar, which includes measures such as staying at home , physical distancing , and other WHO- backed strategies.
President López Obrador said that although Alatorre made a mistake, he has the right to free speech and asked people not to lynch him.
When asked about the incident, Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the news anchor’s statement was irresponsible because it puts people's lives at risk and reminded that Mexico implemented social distancing measures before many other countries, aimed at preventing the collapse of Mexico’s healthcare system.
Sheinbaum said Dr. López-Gatell a very profesional epidemiologist who shares important information every day.
Days after the Mexican news anchor called on people to ignore Mexico’s chief epidemiologist, the Interior Ministry issued an official warning to the TV station and asked it to follow the measures implemented by the General Health Council amid the public health crisis .
In the official document, the Interior Ministry asked the TV station to respect the measures implemented to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus and in case it ignores the request, the government will launch an administrative process to sanction TV Azteca .
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Mexico’s Interior Ministry has the faculties to monitor TV and radio shows to makes sure that the rights of people are not affected, including the right to health.
On April 19, Javier Alatorre thanked President López Obrador for defending democracy and freedom and said that “we can’t allow fear to take over Mexico.”
On his Twitter account, Alatorre said Mexican people will overcome the COVID-19 pandemic but didn’t mention Dr. Hugo López-Gatell.
Interior Minister Olga Sánchez Cordero called people to follow the recommendations issued by Mexico ’s chief epidemiologist and senior health official . Through her Twitter account, Sánchez Cordero said López-Gatell is an expert in epidemiology and the only authorized and official voice for the health sector.
Security Minister Alfonso Durazo
said Javier Alatorre was negligent for calling people to ignore an expert and reiterated his support to Dr. López-Gatell.
After the controversial statement issued by Alatorre and amid a public health crisis, President López Obrador said his recommendation was not to sanction the news anchor or the TV station.
The President said that even if it was an excessive or irresponsible act, the government must respect the right to free speech . However, once more, he showed his support for Hugo López-Gatell and the group of experts handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is Dr. Hugo López-Gatell?
According to the World Health Organization , Dr. Hugo Lépez-Gatell is a Medical Specialist in Internal Medicine , who also holds a Master in Medical Sciences and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology.
López-Gatell was a research assistant in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH), in the U.S.
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