The death of more than 800,000 Mexicans cannot go unpunished. Those who had the ability to save lives but chose negligence and cover-up must face legal consequences. In this sense, the awarding of a prize to Dr. Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez is perceived as an act of pure cynicism, attempting to distort history for convenience.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mexico experienced one of the highest mortality rates globally, in contrast to countries that implemented more effective strategies. López-Gatell, as Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion, received political shielding that exempted him from accountability for his decisions and omissions that contributed to the death of thousands.
The public official downplayed the importance of wearing masks, dismissed international alerts, and manipulated data to minimize the severity of the health crisis. He has recently been awarded a prize, which has been seen as an insult to the victims and an attempt to erase his negligence from collective memory.
López-Gatell's actions during the pandemic, according to the Federal Penal Code, could constitute a crime of intentional homicide by commission through omission. His decisions, contrary to international standards, and his cover-up of relevant information resulted in a significant number of avoidable deaths.
The insensitivity in awarding prizes to those who should be held accountable before justice is alarming. Negligence and data manipulation in an emergency situation like the pandemic should not be ignored. Justice, sooner or later, will come for those who had the lives of so many people in their hands and chose the path of irresponsibility.
