MEXICO: AMLO course change unlikely even if Morena loses ground in mid-terms
Elections for the lower house of Congress take place on 6 June alongside 15 state gubernatorial elections and a host of state assembly and municipal ballots. The campaign has been marked by the ongoing pandemic and vaccination campaign; President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO… Become a member to read the rest of this article […]
MEXICO: Rattled AMLO intensifies electoral attacks
With just three and a half weeks to go before the 6 June “mega-elections,” which involve the lower house mid-term vote, 15 state gubernatorial elections, and a host of state assembly and municipal ballots, the campaign is heating up. This week, the gubernatorial election in Nuevo… Become a member to read the rest of […]
MEXICO: New setback for energy sector
A reform of the Hydrocarbons Law unveiled late last week marks the latest step in President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO)’s rollback of the 2013-14 energy reform. The bill presented to the lower house on 27 March would grant the government discretionary powers to suspend per… Become a member to read the rest of […]
MEXICO: Unpredictable AMLO to complicate bilateral relations with US
It is difficult not to see various recent moves by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) as deliberately provocative to the new US administration. AMLO’s contrarian attitude is largely due to his drive to acquire leverage ahead of what he anticipates will be a more complex… Become a member to read the rest of […]
MEXICO: Notes on a scandal
A US federal judge earlier today, 18 November, ceded to a Department of Justice (DoJ) request to drop drug trafficking and money laundering charges against former defense minister Salvador Cienfuegos (2012-2018), who was arrested in Los Angeles on 15 October. On 17 November, wh… Become a member to read the rest of this article
MEXICO: 2021 budget mixes austerity and pet project spending
The 2021 draft budget unveiled yesterday, 8 September, did not produce any real surprises. The USD 292bn budget is a blend of government austerity; fiscal discipline; some over-optimistic core assumptions; and spending increases for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO)’s … Become a member to read the rest of this article
MEXICO: AMLO’s poll resilience belies challenges ahead
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) delivered the annual government report – akin to a state-of-the-nation address – yesterday, 1 September. The speech offered up few insights, which is hardly surprising given that AMLO already has a platform for his loquacity – his dail… Become a member to read the rest of this article
MEXICO: AMLO to seek fresh winds from allegations against predecessor
Alejandro Gertz, head of the National Prosecutor’s Office (FGR), on 11 August announced that the former CEO of state oil company Pemex, Emilio Lozoya, had filed a legal complaint against former president Enrique Pena Nieto (2012-2018) and one of his most powerful ministers, Luis … Become a member to read the rest of this […]
MEXICO: Takeaways from election arbiter episode
Yesterday, 22 July, the lower house voted in four new counselors to sit on the board of the National Electoral Institute (INE), which organizes federal elections and audits parties’ finances. The vote was required because four counselors’ terms expired earlier this year. The INE… Become a member to read the rest of this article
MEXICO: Plenty to lose from AMLOve policy
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) returns to Mexico today, 9 July, following his meeting yesterday with US President Donald Trump in Washington DC. AMLO, who made the trip ostensibly to mark the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA, or T-MEC as it is … Become a member to read the rest of this […]