Day 602 — Sheinbaum Defends 'No vean TV Azteca' Call; SIP and Alianza de Medios Warn of Press Freedom Risks

On May 25, 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum told supporters: 'No vean TV Azteca' (don't watch TV Azteca). At her May 26 Day 602 mañanera, she defended the statement as a personal 'opinion' rather than censorship, arguing that any citizen — including the president — has the right to express views about private media outlets and recommend audiences seek different sources. She framed the recommendation as a response to what she described as an 'offensive campaign' by TV Azteca against her government following a large SAT (tax authority) back-tax settlement that required Azteca Group to pay billions in fines and back taxes owed to the state. OWNER CONTEXT: TV Azteca is owned by Ricardo Salinas Pliego, one of Mexico's wealthiest businessmen and a persistent critic of the Sheinbaum and AMLO administrations. The SAT settlement — which Sheinbaum's administration advanced aggressively — represented one of the largest tax recovery operations against a private conglomerate in Mexican history. Salinas Pliego has subsequently used his media properties to amplify criticism of the 4T government. PRESS FREEDOM RESPONSE: The Inter-American Press Society (SIP) and Mexico's Alianza de Medios pushed back forcefully, warning that presidential calls to boycott specific media outlets — regardless of their formal legal status — create a chilling effect when coming from the head of state who controls regulatory agencies, advertising budgets, and SAT enforcement powers. TV Azteca anchor Pati Chapoy publicly defied the call and framed it as evidence of government hostility toward independent journalism, calling it a threat to press pluralism. SHEINBAUM'S ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT: At the same mañanera, Sheinbaum announced a new 'Mitómano de la Semana' (Liar of the Week) feature to highlight what she described as disinformation being spread by critics and opposition media. BROADER CONTEXT: Mexico ranks 126th in the 2026 RSF Press Freedom Index. The SIP warning joins broader concerns from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) about Mexico's press environment following the dissolution of INAI (the transparency agency) in late 2024.