AMLO, Petro, Maduro: LatAm leaders dismiss US Human Rights Report, calling it full of 'lies'

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, commonly known as AMLO, was one of the n Latin American leaders who rejected the findings of the U.S. State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Venezuela, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic were others to do so.

AMLO was emphatic in rejecting the claims made on Mexico in the document, which analyzes the situation of human rights in over 200 countries and seeks to assess progress or setbacks in individual, political, civil, and labor rights.

The report stated that there were credible accounts of unlawful or arbitrary killings, cases of disappearances, torture, and inhumane treatment carried out by Mexican police, military personnel, and other officials.

It also outlined that remarkably low rates of prosecution persisted in Mexico across all types of crimes, including human rights violations and corruption. Additionally, it condemned the violence targeting journalists in the North American country.

For Mexico, the U.S. "believes it's the government of the World"

"They're lying," AMLO said when a journalist asked him about the findings at his regular morning press conference, adding that the U.S. "believes it's the government of the world."

"It's not worth getting angry about; that's just how they are."

Speaking at a news briefing, the State Department's acting spokesperson Vedant Patel quickly rejected the notion of the U.S. acting as the "government of the world."

"As it relates to Mexico, the reported involvement of members of the Mexican police, military, and other government institutions in serious acts of corruption and unlawful arbitrary killings remains a serious challenge for Mexico, and that's why they were highlighted in our report," he said.

The U.S. State Department "disrespect Colombian institutions"

Patel also mentioned Colombia during the briefing, prompting criticism from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia.

Answering a journalist's question, Patel said that they had "credible" evidence suggesting that illegal funds had been funneled into the campaign of President Gustavo Petro. The scheme allegedly involved his son Nicolás Petro Burgos, who is facing legal proceedings for money laundering and unlawful enrichment.

"Colombia rejects the statements and assessments made by Mr. Vedant Patel, which deviate from the actual content presented in the report," the ministry stated in an X (formerly Twitter) post.

"Furthermore, his assertions disregard and disrespect Colombian institutions' adherence to the principle of due process and their commitment to combating corruption and impunity."

For the Dominican Republic, the State Department's report is "unfounded"

The Dominican Republic also rejected the report, deeming it "aggressive" and "unfounded," especially regarding the allegations that the Caribbean country violated human rights in the deportation of Haitians.

"We are studying the report and will respond in due course through the appropriate official channels," stated the spokesperson for the Dominican Republic, Homero Figueroa, in an official statement cited in the news outlet RNN.

"Nevertheless, we take this opportunity to express our astonishment at the aggressive and unfounded tone of the report, which does not reflect the current reality of human rights in the Dominican Republic, nor the close and respectful friendship between our governments."

"The Dominican government reaffirms its commitment to respecting human rights, and we are willing to engage in constructive dialogue with our friends regarding any legitimate concerns in this area," he added.

For Venezuela, the U.S. Report is "ridiculous"

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil also criticized the report, stating that it is "filled with lies and falsehoods" against the country.

In a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, the diplomat said that Washington crafted a "ridiculous pamphlet" as part of its "toxic obsession" against Venezuela.

Among the most pressing human rights problems that persist in Venezuela, the report says, there are extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, torture, arbitrary detention, "serious problems with the independence of the judiciary," use of children by illegal armed groups; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, and censorship.

"Without any moral authority, the most hostile and deadliest empire in humanity dares to speak of rights that it constantly violates and undermines," the Foreign Minister said.

"The United States has devised the most vile plan of aggression against Venezuelans, supported by their local lackeys who have attacked all their fundamental rights. Their publicly declared objectives aim to make the population suffer and consolidate their regime change strategy in favor of the unpatriotic oligarchy. This has resulted in a massive violation of human rights and crimes categorized as crimes against humanity."