Mexican Authorities Order $2 Million Fine to Green Party

Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) has fined the Green Ecologist Party (PVEM) $2 million and ordered it not to broadcast radio and television spots for one year.

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These sanctions are the result of an investigation that determined that the PVEM paid some USD990,000 to 95 influencers to promote the vote in its favor prior to the June 6 subnational elections.

Due to this, the INE Audit Commission determined the existence of an electoral crime and defined these sanctions, which must be endorsed by the General Council and by the Electoral Tribunal of the Power of Justice. The electoral authorities concluded that the Green Party incurred in a serious crime by asking some 95 people to speak in its favor in exchange for payments that would have ranged from USD744 to USD4,964.

In fact, on the same day of the elections, the INE Complaints and Denunciations Commission ordered 30 Mexican influencers to remove messages in favor of the Green Party from their Instagram profiles.

The meme reads, "A group of activists, political scientists, and journalists asked INE to withdraw the registration of the PVEM due to the systematic, fraudulent, and repeated strategy with which it has sought to violate the law during the last few years’ elections."

Among the influencers involved in this scandal are television personalities such as Raul Araiza, Barbara de Regil, Ivonne Montero, Lambda Garcia, Brandon Peniche, Raquel Bigorra, Laura G, Eleazar Gomez, and Gabriel Soto.

Authorities also pointed out people who are particularly dedicated to promoting themselves on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or other networks, such as Alex Strecci, Fernanda Moreno, Pamela Voguel and Alan Sandoval. On June 10, the Attorney General's Office (FGR) also announced that the influencers would be investigated for illegally disseminating propaganda.

In addition to the recent sanctions, the Green Party has an open investigation file against it at the Special Prosecutor's Office for Electoral Crimes (FEDE) and at the Technical Unit for Electoral Disputes for allegedly using phantom companies to finance activities and pay for campaign events.