Mayor Lopez Obrador: Mexico’s Leading Man & Public Enemy #1
The April 7th decision by the Mexican Congress (controlled by the PRI & PAN) to strip Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of immunity is the most blatant indication that Mexico’s nascent rise from it’s corrupt and crony political past is declining rapidly.
As Mayor of Mexico City, Lopez Obrador governs over the largest municipality in the country. He’s done well and won re-election. As the leading figure of the leftist PRD (Partido Revolucionario Democratica), Lopez Obrador is the most popular politician in the country and has been the early favorite for next year’s presidential elections. Far behind Lopez Obrador in the polls for much of the past two years, the ruling PRI-PAN coalition has resorted to what it knows all too well — holding onto power by any means necessary.
In the process, the centrist PRI and the conservative PAN are ignoring the concerns of 80% of the Mexican people not deceived by the political jockeying.
This parliamentary circus is the 21st Century version of the dedazo (literally "the big finger") practiced by the PRI during their 80 year reign, which ended with the 2000 election of former Coca-Cola executive Vicente Fox. In that era, each Mexican president would identify his successor (both PRI wonks), without any input from the people.
Now, the reinvigorated PRI and Vicente Fox’s PAN (Partido de Accion Nacional) have come to agree on the need to stop the leftist candidate.
Despite the congressional vote, Lopez Obrador is not done yet. He is currently pinning his survival on the independence of the judiciary, who he hopes will strike down the PRI-PAN legislation. But the masses are not taking this lightly with hundreds of thousands protesting and a bloc of 36 unions, who represent half a million workers, have announced plans for a silent march this coming Sunday.
The presidential election is a long way off, as is the finale to this most recent political theater.
Chad Jones, Politics Co-Editor
April 15th, 2005 at 9:34 am
While anyone familiar with Mexican politics can’t find this latest deal too surprising, it is a bummer. But there is an upside - the emergence of the PRD is a positive development in turning Mexico into a functiing democracy (as was the election of Fox, even though he’s a worthless plutocrat).
March 19th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
What revolution?!!
The hell with your revolution!
Mexico needs basic stuff like running water, vaccines and decent elementary education… not populist thugs willing to burn down the place for ideology!!1
Think before you give your vote to Lopez Obrador!!
April 19th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
lolo: read before you rant. no one else mentioned the R word: revolution. sure, ‘basic stuff’ is desparately needed amongst Mexico’s people, but how will the PRI or PAN candidates provide on something that they haven’t delivered on during their reign over the past 10 years.
a PRD election, would be another wave in the pink tide coming across latinoamerica.
April 27th, 2006 at 7:24 am
LOPEZ OBRADOR left Mexico City in the worst administrative crisis, he is an expert in handling populist measures and political propaganda. His administration was characterized for major corruption scandals where his staff was involved, crime raised to historical records, the City’s public debt was the worst in 37 years and no trasparency measures were implemented. Lopez Obrador is the worst option for Mexico, his strategy is to attack others instead of solving his own problems. I will be surprised if the relationship between Mexico and the U.S. and other major world economies would deteriorate if Lopea Obrador becomes president. On the other hand, terrorist countries like Venezuela and Cuba would have a good relationship with Mr. Lopez and his political party (PRD) which is a scission, of the worst quality of old politicians,from the Mexican Dictator Party, the PRI.