Mexico: Renowned Journalist Carmen Aristegui Returns to Radio

Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui is returning to the radio after being censored by Enrique Peña Nieto's government more than three years ago over an investigation into allegations of presidential corruption.

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Aristegui made the announcement during a press conference alongside Jorge Aguirre Abdo, a representative of the radio station that will air the journalist’s show.

“We’ve been out of Mexican radio thanks to a censorship attack,” said Aristegui. “This announcement is a step against censorship, is a step toward freedom of speech.”

The journalist is returning to the airwaves thanks to an alliance with Radio Centro Group, which will air Aristegui’s show starting October 17 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

So far the show has only been transmitted online since her team got fired from MVS.

Aguirre Abdo also said that if there’s any other radio station that wants to air the show in a city where they’re not present, they could reach an agreement.

Aristegui and her team were fired by MVS Radio on March 15, 2015, under pressure from the federal government just days after they revealed an investigation regarding the purchase of a luxury mansion, known as ‘the White House,’ by Peña Nieto’s wife, Angelica Rivera.

The case became the biggest corruption scandal involving Peña Nieto. The investigation revealed that Rivera purchased the US$7 million mansion from one of the government's main contractors just before Peña Nieto’s victory in the presidential elections, raising serious questions about the legality of the transaction.

“This story involving the president of Mexico is a story that would make the president of any other country be submitted to trial, to a real process and not what happened in Mexico," Aristegui said.

The journalist remains hopeful there will be freedom of the press during the future administration of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, she said.

“As media, we have a huge responsibility in the real transformation of Mexico, and if we don’t do it ourselves, we would have lost a great opportunity.”

She also thanked the president-elect for his willingness to allow her back on the radio, but explained that her return had nothing to do with his victory in the presidential elections.

“First, we thank him [Lopez Obrador] for saying out loud that censorship won’t be permissible,” said Aristegui. “Then, about him helping Gutierrez Vivo and me to return somehow, I must say that this alliance had been planned for a long time and now the circumstances were right.”

Peña Nieto will leave office at the end of November, when Lopez Obrador steps in as the new president of Mexico.

Aristegui is known in Mexico as one of the most critical journalists in mainstream media and, despite being friends with Lopez Obrador, takes no sides. Her work has earned her international recognition but also caused many outlets to ban her work.