The conflicts that marked the first sixteen months of the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) — over Trump’s tariff threats, economic stagnation, the failed raid against the son of El Chapo — were simply initial skirmishes in the open offensive the Mexican right is now launching under the cover of the coronavirus pandemic.

The timing comes as no surprise: in stark contrast to the wooly rhetoric of cooperation in times of crisis, pandemics represent the perfect opportunity for authoritarian forces to strike out against opponents. For what are crudely known as emerging economies, the danger is magnified: as speculators “flee from risk,” currencies fall, capital flies, and, due to depressed demand, the price of exports such as oil tumble even into negative numbers.

In Mexico, the foot soldiers of the assault have been the pundits, anchors, and celebrities in the employ of the nation’s mass media. Behind them stand an array of powerful interests, both national and international.