Salinas Pliego blasts Sheinbaum for suing Ovidio's lawyer

Amid a tense political climate, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a defamation lawsuit against Jeffrey Lichtman, the lawyer for drug trafficker Ovidio Guzmán. The news, far from going unnoticed, ignited social media... and also businessman Ricardo Salinas Pliego.

From his X account (formerly Twitter), the owner of Grupo Salinas was quick to react. In his characteristic sarcastic tone, he wrote: "It's great that they've found another enemy. I wish they'd address the real problems that way." For many users, it was another direct dig at the president, who had already mentioned him days earlier for comments he made against journalists.

The conflict arose from a strongly worded statement by attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, who claimed that Sheinbaum "speaks more like a spokesperson for drug trafficking than as president." The president reacted sharply to these accusations during her morning press conference on July 14:

"We can't normalize this kind of talk about the presidential inauguration. The Legal Department is already preparing a lawsuit."

With this action, Sheinbaum attempts to set limits on public discourse about organized crime figures. However, for figures like Salinas Pliego, this is nothing more than a smokescreen.

In his post, the businessman didn't limit himself to irony. He accompanied his comment with a list of issues that—according to him—are being neglected:

• Fiscal huachicol and lack of arrests
• Murder of minors
• Alleged money laundering in social programs
• Mediocre results in public works
• Visa cancellation
• Widespread insecurity
• Legal case of the children of "El Chapo"

With this list, Salinas sought to highlight what he considers to be the current administration's poor management of priorities. His criticism points to the shifting focus toward personal confrontations rather than toward resolving structural problems.

The confrontation between Sheinbaum and Salinas isn't new, but it's escalating. A few days ago, the president directly mentioned the businessman for misogynistic comments against journalists, sparking a new wave of posts from "Uncle Richie."

In this war of statements, what's at stake goes beyond personal prestige: it's a fight for narrative. While the president tries to shield her presidential image from attacks from abroad, figures like Salinas Pliego seek to position themselves as critical voices demanding results and transparency.

The lawsuit against Jeffrey Lichtman sets a legal precedent, but it also exposes a political rift. Salinas Pliego's reaction raises a key question: Is this lawsuit an act of justice or just another distraction?

In the midst of a transformation in Mexico's political landscape, social media has once again become the battlefield. And both Sheinbaum and Salinas know how to play it very well.