What Could a Left Presidency Look Like in Mexico?

Details: Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00; Written by editor

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A Socialist Project e-bulletin ... No. 1563 ... February 28, 2018
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What Could a Left Presidency Look Like in Mexico?

Ryan Mallett-Outtrim

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) could become Mexico’s first progressive president in generations, but what would such a presidency actually look like? It is not an easy question to answer, though his time as leader of Mexico’s largest city could offer some insights. Between 2000 and 2005, Lopez Obrador headed the government of Mexico City. In a position akin to mayor, AMLO ran a city that today boasts a population of 8.9 million people in the city proper, and 20 million people if the surrounding greater urban area is included. In short, Mexico City is a country within a country.

When AMLO left office, he enjoyed an 84% approval rating. His welfare reforms... were wildly popular, and he gave the city a major facelift while improving public transport and education. On the other hand, he has been accused of failing to address corruption while sparking controversy with his views on domestic security.

We cannot know whether AMLO -- who polls suggest could win Mexico’s upcoming presidential elections -- will run the country the same way he ran its capital. It has been more than a decade since he left the mayor’s office, and both he and Mexico have changed a lot.

Moreover, a potentially hostile congress could make AMLO’s election promises impossible to fulfil -- not to mention the external challenges posed by the Donald Trump administration in the United States.

Nonetheless, AMLO’s time as mayor of Mexico City is our best window into understanding his style of governance. So, a decade on, how did he do?