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on the border line between the US and Mexico
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Sunday, March 15, 2015

Aristegui Uncompromising, MexicoLeaks reporters fired, MVS Hacked, Public Outcry, EPN mum

By Lucio R. Borderland Beat


LA Times describes Carmen Aristegui in this way:

“She is sort of a cross between Christiane Amanpour and a dog with a bone. Carmen Aristegui is possibly Mexico's most famous journalist, very courageous and often annoying.”

This BB contributor says simply, she is the most fearless, scrupulous, ethical, authentic, loved journalist in Mexico. Attaching the name “Carmen” to a news story is all the credibility one usually needs.


We at BB know that she is the one reporter that Dr. Mireles found most trustworthy. He found her exceedingly fair, even when she asked uncomfortable questions. 

He was fooled by others, those from Televisa, who can forget that edited “interview” with its creative cuts leaving a message not only out of context, but 180 degrees from context.

Or Proceso, once fair in their reporting of Dr. Mireles, but after Anabel Hernandez began writing for them, and wrote a series of unfavorable reports about Dr. Mireles, where she stretched the truth and toyed with the facts.  Proceso began publishing articles that compromised integrity of the interviews and headlines about Dr. Mireles, such as “If they want war we will give them war”.  Something he never said.  How could they not know Dr. Mireles habitually recorded all interviews? 
                               Casa Migrante in Saltillo Coahuila in support of Aristegui for defending human rights

Dr. Mireles stopped doing interviews with both news agencies. Telling BB “I don’t know Hernandez, she has never asked to speak to me or asked a single question, how is that fair journalism?”

Mireles was not difficult to connect with. If this blog had no issues connecting and communicating with Mireles, surely Hernandez would have had no problem.

It is dangerous to tell the truth in Mexico, the country deemed the most dangerous place in the American continent to be a reporter. 


This results in journalists being paid, or threatened into producing an agenda or narrative that has nothing to do with reality, or used to destroy a reputation of someone acting in a threatening manner to organized crime, or someone from the political world.

Fear is the most powerful weapon against truth in journalism.  Let’s be honest, it is why most of us bloggers in Mexico or those having loved ones in Mexico hide behind a nom de plume.

But Aristegui is cut from a different cloth than just about any other journalist in Mexico or anywhere else for that matter.


(at left Omar Garcia, normalista Ayotzinapa activist protested in support of Aristegui and against MVS decision to fire investigative reporters on Thursday. Read his story  by following this link)

She is unyielding to outside pressure, those who would have her bend or hide an uncomfortable story affecting those who come for a position of power, never compromising her ridged sense of fairness, veracity and impartiality,….for anyone.


The popular journalist has 4.5 million followers on Facebook and over 3.5 followers on Twitter.  That is equal to the president of Mexico. 

Carmen Aristegui, she is the anchor of the news program Aristegui on CNN en Español and of the morning news program on MVS Radio as well as writes for Reforma.

She was born in Mexico City in 1964, one of 7 children born to refugees of the Spanish Civil War. 

Her career in journalism began at TV Azteca, from there, Televisa, Universal, among others and since 2006 she has been with CNN Mexico.  She has been with MVS news agency for 6 bumpy years.   

Calderon a drunk?


In 2011 she was fired over a controversy when she inferred  President Calderon may have a drinking problem.  “You wouldn’t want to ride in a vehicle driven by a drunk would you?  Then why would it be ok to allow one to run the country”.

Ouch.

In typical Aristegui fashion, she expected and believed, that  Calderon had an obligation to address the accusation.  While she didn't "have any specific information" as to whether the president had problems with alcohol, and she added "this is a delicate topic" she remained with the opinion, that the President Calderón had an obligation to reply to the charge.

She was fired 3 days later.   

MVS:  "In our code of ethics," MVS said in a statement, "we pledge to reject the presentation and dissemination of rumors as news. The journalist Carmen Aristegui violated our code of ethics and we decided to terminate our existing contractual relationship.”

While few would disagree with that summation, if she were a newscaster, but she was never hired as a presenter of news; she is an editorialist, an investigative reporter.  Hired to make comment,  give an opinion or expose uncomfortable secrets.

She was given a statement of apology and Aristegui was instructed to  read it on the air.  

She flat out refused.  

Her termination was announced that evening.

But within hours MVS bosses were told of the intense reaction by the public, which had gone viral on social networks.  After a few days of public outcry, plus long communication between MVS and representatives of President Calderon, without a word or fanfare, Aristegui was back on the air in 10 days.

Neither Aristegui nor the station ever gave a statement to her return, apparently the parties agreeing to disagree and agreeing not to speak further of it.

Aristegui has confronted and has been open about the death threats she endures, experiencing  an escalation this past year.  

MexicoLeaks

This week Aristegui finds herself in a familiar position,  once again in conflict with those that sign her paycheck, the head honchos at MVS radio, a station that I regularly listen to for an  hour daily…to hear and learn from Carmen Aristegui.

The latest conflict began this week with the inauguration of a new online program  called MexicoLeaks.   (link to MEXICOLEAKS site here)

                                                        Daniel Lizárraga and Irving Huerta
MexicoLeaks, is a forum createdto censure and examine corruption in Mexico. Mexico Leaks fashioned itself to the WikiLeaks format.  A  safe place,  for informers to utilize to leak information and documents.  

MVS Radio not only hated the idea, it called out  several of its employees as indecorously representing themselves, by implying  that MVS was a sponsor of the program.

MVS said by the program using the station label they were deceiving the public in the process. They ran ads even on Aristegui’s hour to slam home the position.


On Wednesday, when the MVS ads came out, Aristegui went on air and gave what can be described as a bid adieu.  She must have been encouraged to rethink her position, because she then came back on Thursday with redress and determination, saying she was not going anywhere:

“To do so would be to relinquish a part of what little free speech there is in Mexico.”

Later that day, the station then got the hammer out, and without consulting Aristegui, fired two reporters,  Daniel Lizárraga and Irving Huerta, vital members of her investigative staff.  They were investigating and producing the first two stories about; conflict of interest (EPN)  and one onhuman rights abuses.

It isn’t that the MVS thinks for one second that they are convincing the Mexican public that this action and hoopla is about inappropriate usage of a logo.  Frankly, they do not care what the public thinks, because they count on the long run, when the story fades and nothing changes.  The Mexican way, corruption survives because actions such as these prevent the truth from seeing sunlight. 

We are supposed to believe that this, was not in fact due to Aristegui being what is called in Mexico “an inconvenient” or “uncomfortable” public person.  
                                                                 E.P.N's "Casa Blanca"

Or that it wasn't because the terminated journalists, were exposing further information involving President Enrique Pena Nieto and wife and those mansions that continue to need explaining.  Those multimillion dollar mansions, that appears to have a nasty conflict of interest problem, like their notorious luxury mansion of Lomas de Chapultepec, in Mexico City. Questions go unanswered regarding his acquisition of the property. 

That scandal led to other questions such as  the relationship between Peña Nieto and the businessman Juan Armando Hinajosa, owner of the Higa Group.  The group cultivated close ties to various officials in the Mexican government, and has largely benefited from government contracts, going back to when Peña Nieto was governor of Mexico state.

EPN was  hoping the controversy was ebbing.   Then came MexicoLeaks, a nightmare for EPN trapping him between a boulder and a slate wall. 

The boulder because Mexico Leaks split open the wound of the controversy to a massive audience and a slate wall because by the MVS reaction, which rendered the public outraged and infuriated. #EnDefensaDeAristegui trended on social networks.  

The public initiated a protest.  Marching in front of MVS studios, collecting 130,00 signatures in 1 day in support of MexicoLeaks, Aristegui and the fired journalists.


MVS Hacked   

In addition to the public outcry, yesterday “Anonymous Hispanio” and “Anonymous Mexico” hacked into the MVS website portal.

Anonymous posted a statement on the MVS website that read in part; Journalists, reporters and activists have been forced to give up investigative  research, and real news has been blatantly shrouded by a series of lies that have hindered the advancement and growth of the nation and its citizens."

As for President Peña, his office has refused requests for a statement.

sources: a portion of information used to write this post from: BB Archives, Twitter, Facebook, Arestegui News

31 comments:

  1. It was not fair to President Felipe call him a drunk You (aristegui) should have facts, before making a statement, the why. I will continue to follow your program just have the facts before you speak. Do rely on chimes

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What kind of chimes? Wind chimes?....fuking auto correct sucks when ur bilingual....I'm guessing you meant "don't rely on chismes"

      Delete
    2. I get what you are saying. But she did present her position at the time, her concern was shared by others. It was her commentary, opinion. She did not present it as fact or a news story.

      that 's what she does.

      Delete
    3. Funny shit 10:30 hahaha

      Delete
    4. Understand I been drunk in jail and understand

      Delete
    5. Hard hit on freedom of speech in mexico. Sad to see.

      Delete
  2. Lucio, it might be hard, but please try not to post stuff this good. Cut back a little, we won't mid.

    I'm worried that you're gonna get signed to some big paper like the NY Times or Wash Post, then we won't be able to read you here. : (

    Seriously, awesome job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No fear of that happening! I would have to exit my day job and study journalism. I just want to help out for while. Readers have been so kind, I intended to stay but for a month or so. And here I stay because of the support.

      L

      Delete
  3. Great to come on and not see all the articles about murders. 3 at that!!! However, now that they are making this woman center of attention, will she be safe?

    ReplyDelete
  4. One will always have shit to say about this or that media or journalist, Mexico has no credibility at all when it comes to stablished status quo media....Televisa and so on, we know...the usual suspects, so Aristegui is like a miracle of truth in a country so corrupt so centralized when it comes to media that it's embarrassing to say the least, I do believe however that you are wrong about her being the only soul who cares for telling the truth, and you are wrong about Anabel Hernandez, her being one of the few besides Aristegui who really puts herself in literal danger denouncing orginized crime and the public officials who are part of the circle of corruption, proceso to a certain extent is still doing good things, I mean when you look at the rest of it you come to realize this.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Interesting article.
    I had no idea that in Mexico, are still people who are not corrupted.

    I just wonder how long she will live.
    The Islamist extremists and the Mexicans
    are quick with beheading people they don't like.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Here's a brief story I did on this topic: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/15/1371078/-Another-freedom-of-the-press-dustup-in-Mexico

    ReplyDelete
  7. If possible I would like contact information for this reporter "Lucio".

    Well written, informative article!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucio, enjoy the praises while you can, best wishes...

      Delete
    2. FUCK pena nieto and FUCK MVS, who needs them?
      --Newly redeemed prophet felipe calderon praised by mexicans in a little community college, in Elgin il... borracho, cagado, miado y gomitado, pero, but, hey, life goes on...
      --Fecal can't go to many other big places, because more illustrated students call him ASESINO! RATERO! CORRUPTO! and many other names...
      --emilio chuayffet chemor, "la emilia" has that very exact same problem, because of his massacrest of Acteal/Chenalhó and Ayotzinapa...

      Delete
    3. For personal reasons, I have elected not to make public my contact information, or interact privately. If you have a Mexican Organized Crime question, feel free to send through comments, or through Chivis.

      L

      Delete
    4. 9:06 What company do you belong to..

      Delete
  8. Cayo el negro saborio

    ReplyDelete
  9. Omar Garcia is looking for too much trouble, needs to get out of mexico, same for Carmen Aristegui, and her investigative reporters; miut said she made an error, it was staying in mexico and I really mean it...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. no don't leave Mexico fight for your country

      Delete
  10. Another outstanding post. Thank you Lucio.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well written and informative. Thank you Lucio. Sincerely body of Christ Texas.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you kind readers for the support. It is greatly appreciated

    L

    ReplyDelete
  13. Some good will come out of this scandle... Good people everywhere who are monitoring Mexico will find ways of getting reliable and "valid" information out of Mexico.
    The Borderland Beat community is part of this noble effort. We must work hard to keep it self correcting and honest so that truths come through... In some cases , eventually.
    Mexico-Watcher

    ReplyDelete
  14. Is this Putin, in Russia or ESPN in Mexico? What country are we talking about?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good stuff Lucio. Thank You.

    ReplyDelete
  16. This kinda off topic but it is related to the first comment. I hate to compare the two countries (US and Mexico) but I must do so. It is ironic that in the US a president is held to a much higher standard than in Mexico. The only thing people remember in the US is the "bad" things a president does and not the good things. In Mexico people tend to forget or don't talk about the bad things the president does. The "media" only reminds the public of the good things each president did for Mexico. I have never heard of a Watergate instance in Mexican history where a president is almost impeached or perceived as an embarrassment Nixon was during Watergate hearings. I might be wrong but it seems like some people will go out of their way to protect past president's reputation like Calderon. Or swear up and down the president wasn't as bad as people say. I guess in the US the public expects the president to be almost perfect and when they aren't they are judged to no end. Is it just me? What do other readers think?

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  17. She has more balls than All Men

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  18. jesus, they fired her because she called the president drunk? looooool if she did that in america she would have her on show on either fox news or msnbc.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Former president of mexico now working for the legalization of mariguana because, he don't want to have a bounty on his ass (in dollarzzz!), Vicente fox recommends for the 43...
    -- "...That the 43 be forgotten, and that their family and country get over it, because it was a tragedy and we must leave it behind..."
    --'brase visto más pinchi maricon, viejo chocho...

    ReplyDelete

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