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Dear English speaking colleagues and friends that follow me on Twitter. Lately you may have seen me twitting a lot about Mexico’s president and the country's political situation. I owe you and apology. But above all, I owe you an explanation. So here it is:
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), Mexico’s president, is a skilful politician. In his third attempt, he won the presidency by a landslide. He sold himself as the only option to end with Mexico’s corruption and inequality. Many people believed him and still do. However…
His first six months in office have been anything but a leftist, modern, effective government. On the contrary, he has advanced policies closer to the political right; has used a polarising populist rhetoric; and has triggered democratic backsliding and bureaucratic dismantling…
He has institutionalised the use of the military for police activities with a new national guard, and his finance ministry (more on this) has pursued aggressive austerity policies. Yet he has said little on science, environment/climate change, equal rights, or poverty policies…
He has used his daily (yes, daily) press briefings to criticise political enemies, even attacking with dodgy sources individual reputations (e.g. the head of the energy regulator). He has portrayed the media, scientists, NGOs, etc. as “mafia”, who go “against the people’s will”…
He has the majority in both legislative chambers, but has tried to gain control of the judiciary with two clearly partisan appointments, and has also publicly attacked/cut the budget of all other non-majoritarian institutions (regulators, competition authority, central bank)…
His anti-corruption agenda has remained vague to say the least. On the other hand, patronage, conflicts of interest, direct assignment of public contracts, and politicisation of social programmes have become a regular feature of AMLO’s administration…
AMLO’s anti-poverty agenda has been limited to direct transfers to young students and old people, which have been implemented by-passing existing institutional procedures. But he has dismantled the most famous and successful anti-poverty program of the country: Prospera…
He is terminating public policies, programmes, institutions, and he has even cancelled the construction of Mexico City’s new airport (with 30% building progress) alleging corruption. He never shows enough proof and always responds to criticisms saying he has “alternative facts”…
Austerity has meant cutting down funds for daycare support for working mums; science and research public institutions; medicines and other aids for newborn babies, cancer and HIV patients; and govt. salaries. Plus thousands of public employees have been fired without reason…
At the same time, AMLO is investing THOUSANDS OF MILLIONS of dollars in a new airport in a location he wanted; an oil refinery; a train in the Yucatán peninsula; and PEMEX. No studies, evidence, financial plans, or expert analyses support the soundness of any of these projects…
So, colleagues and friends, once again I apologise for invading your Twitter feed with my rants. I hate doing that. Yet despite Mexico’s corrupt history/political failings, I never felt before that our imperfect democratic regime (built since the 1990s) was in danger. I do now.
PS. And please, whenever you read in the international media about our “leftist” (he is not, by the way) president, do take with a KILO of salt whatever they say. They do get carried away by the president’s media tactics, which are sometimes effective, often deceitful… Thanks.
