Javier May downplays violence: "We have other data"

Tabasco Governor Javier May Rodríguez has sparked a heated debate by responding to questions about the state's rising violence with the phrase "we're doing well, we have other data," a statement that has been criticized as downplaying the crisis and an attempt to deny the reality experienced by its citizens.

In an episode directly reminiscent of the communication style of his political mentor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Tabasco Governor Javier May Rodríguez has sparked a wave of criticism by downplaying the state's dire security situation. When asked by the press about the violence, May responded with a phrase that has become a hallmark of the 4T: "We're doing well, we have other data."

A Reality That Contradicts the Discourse

The governor's statement clashes head-on with the reality documented in recent weeks and months in Tabasco. The state has been the scene of:

* Executions and discovery of bodies in municipalities such as Cunduacán and Centro.

* Security operations have resulted in the arrest of key criminal leaders, highlighting the strong presence of these groups.

* Vehicle fires, narco-banners, and coordinated attacks have sown terror among the population.

* Allegations of links between criminal groups such as "La Barredora" and former state security officials, suggesting deep institutional infiltration.

This context of violence has generated a widespread perception of insecurity among Tabasco residents, a perception the governor's statements seem to ignore.

The Echo of a Communication Strategy

The use of the phrase "we have other data" is not accidental. It is a political communication strategy designed to discredit media coverage and criticism, claiming that the government possesses internal information that contradicts the public narrative of the crisis. However, when this phrase is used to deny a reality as palpable as violence, it runs the risk of being perceived by citizens as mockery or a complete disconnect from their problems.

The controversy is exacerbated because it follows a pattern. Recently, the brother of the former president and current Secretary of Government of Tabasco, José Ramiro López Obrador, called reporters who questioned him about the violence "vultures" who only look for "where there's a dead person."

"Turn it down, turn it down!... You're like vultures, brother, looking for someone dead: Turn it down!" – José Ramiro López Obrador, Secretary of Government of Tabasco, to the press.

The Risk of Denial

For political analysts and opponents, this stance of denial or minimization of the security crisis is dangerous. They argue that the first step to solving a problem is to recognize its existence and magnitude. By denying the crisis, the government risks failing to implement appropriate strategies and losing the public's trust.

While the Tabasco government insists that "things are going well," citizens continue to face a reality of insecurity that cannot be erased by political rhetoric. The gap between the governor's "other data" and the facts of everyday life seems to be growing ever wider.