Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has accused Mexican lawyers of “treason” for representing international business interests in Mexico—a move that escalated tensions between the legal industry and the Mexican leader.

“It’s shameful that Mexican lawyers are employed by foreign companies that want to continue to plunder Mexico,” López Obrador said at a press conference. “Of course they [the lawyers] are free, but hopefully they will start to internalize that this is treason against the country.”