President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has been condemned by the Jewish community in Mexico after calling one of his fiercest critics, a prominent Jewish citizen, “Hitlerite.”
During his daily press briefing, AMLO used the term in reference to Carlos Alazraki, one of Mexico’s leading advertising executives, who has worked on the campaigns of several candidates from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The president admitted that his beefs with Alazraki have a long history, but was particularly incensed when Alazraki recently promoted the allegation that Venezuelans have been arriving on planes at the new Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) and bypassing all immigration controls.
AMLO made his comment about Alazraki while explaining that Hitler, Stalin, Franco or Mussolini may no longer exist, but ideas of Nazism, fascism and Stalinism still prevail. “Men die, not ideas,” he said.
The central committee of the Jewish community in Mexico and the Tribuna Israelita immediately published a statement in which they rejected the use of the term “Hitler” to refer to any person. “Any comparison with the most bloodthirsty regime in history is unfortunate and unacceptable,” they said in a joint statement posted on social networks.
As of press time, neither AMLO or any of his spokespersons had issued an apology.