Mexican president sends ‘protest’ to Spain over companies

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president said his decision to “pause” relations with Spain represents a protest over the behavior of Spanish energy companies in Mexico. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Thursday the pause “is not breaking off relations” with Spain. He called it “nothing but a respectful, fraternal protest for the abuses and wrongs committed against the people of Mexico.” López Obrador had said Wednesday he was taking a time-out in relations with Spain, but didn’t clarify what that meant. He has repeatedly accused Spanish companies of taking unfair advantage of private-sector openings to sign crooked contracts to build power plants in Mexico.