Armenta defends the Cyber ​​Siege law and calls on the UN

PUEBLA, Pue. (apro).- Although the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Amnesty International questioned the so-called Censorship Law, Governor Alejandro Armenta Mier maintained that the Puebla Congress did "the right thing" with this reform, which he asserted is intended to combat cybercrime and is not directed at the media.

Asked about the statements made by international organizations on Wednesday, Armenta said his government is seeking to combat crime, which in this case is cybercrime, just as it has done with femicides, which he asserted have been reduced by 30 percent with his strategy of opening the so-called Carmen Serdán Houses.

"I don't see international human rights organizations speaking out about this. I haven't seen the UN talk about how femicides have decreased by 30 percent in Puebla. Of course, it's our obligation; we're not doing anything extraordinary, but reducing femicides by 30 percent in Puebla is a priority," she complained.

In his morning press conference, the Puebla governor said he agreed with President Claudia Sheinbaum's statement against censorship and repeatedly insisted that this law is not intended to restrict or censor the media.

“Let it be clear, zero censorship,” he emphasized, “we are caring for children, we are caring for women, we are caring for indigenous groups. Any act of repression against a media outlet, we will defend them, we will take care of them, we will protect them. Extreme care from the authorities, and personally from the governor, towards the media.”

"We must fulfill our obligation to protect human rights. We are the fifth state with the highest rate of cybercrime, and Congress did the right thing by regulating it. We must improve it, move forward," he said, recalling that every law can be improved and is always being updated.

Although it should be noted that this reform has only been approved for a week, and this Thursday and Friday, there are only citizen and expert forums being held to analyze it and hear proposals.

Armenta even suggested that the criticisms of this classification of crimes such as cyberbullying have a subtext because it is affecting interests.

“There's a war of perception, and we understand it. There's no innocence, and we're not complaining. We know where we are, we're exposed,” he said. “We understand, and we also understand the underlying causes. When you touch a nerve, we know interests, but it's okay. It's our obligation, and we're going to protect the children, the women, the indigenous population.”

“False narrative”

José Luis García Parra, cabinet coordinator and the person who promoted this reform in November 2024, spoke in the same vein, before requesting leave as a local deputy.

The official maintained that a narrative has been "falsely" constructed that this cybersecurity law violates freedom of expression, claiming that with the changes in effect in Puebla, public servants will no longer be criticized or targeted.

"If a public official at any level, municipal, state or federal, does not fulfill his or her responsibility and obligation, he or she may be accused of lack of results, incapacity, omission, complicity or corruption, as the case may be," he or she mentioned.

"That has nothing to do with this law. It should be made very clear: all public servants are obligated to be accountable and deliver results."

She also rejected the idea that this law would prevent women seeking alimony from using social media to make demands on their debtors.

Amnesty International Mexico, an organization that promotes human rights, yesterday issued a series of messages on its X account in which it warns that due to the ambiguous wording of the approved reform to the Puebla Penal Code, it could be used to restrict freedom of expression.

He not only questioned the crime of cyberbullying, but also other crimes contemplated by this reform, such as digital espionage and identity theft, stating that this classification could be used "arbitrarily" against journalists, activists, and dissenting citizens. "Far from protecting rights, these reforms put them at risk," AI-Mexico stated.