Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has been described as the last hope for Mexico, a nation facing unprecedented levels of violence from a military conflict against transnational criminal groups. In this climate, AMLO has endorsed a progressive and revolutionary political platform for his presidential campaign, representing a potential reversal of Mexico’s crisis.
One of AMLO’s priorities is to combat the dramatic levels of corruption, an initiative positively received by the Mexican public. This response is partly due to the current administration of President Enrique Peña Nieto, which has been plagued by major corruption cases. One infamous case involved Peña Nieto attempting to use public funds to build a personal residence, known as the “White House” scandal. Additionally, public officials have been found hiding large sums of money by subcontracting universities for public projects, some of which were never completed. AMLO’s commitment to eliminating corruption among public officials, especially those in crucial positions, resonates strongly with the public.
Throughout his campaign, AMLO has promoted a transformative economic agenda, with one of his main objectives being the recovery of the Mexican agriculture sector. According to his analysis, previous administrations neglected this sector by prioritizing other economic interests. For example, the adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) led to millions of Mexican farmers losing their jobs due to competition from American agribusinesses, which flooded the market with cheap products, causing the collapse of regional and small-sized farms. Despite this, AMLO acknowledges the benefits of NAFTA in increasing Mexico’s economic competitiveness and believes it should be protected and ratified. This creates an ideological conflict for AMLO, as restoring the Mexican agriculture sector could challenge American farmers in the national market, potentially conflicting with NAFTA principles. If elected, AMLO will need to clarify his position on economic integration and the prosperity of the national agriculture sector.
AMLO also aims to curb illegal immigration to the United States by creating a friendlier economic environment near the border. This strategy seeks to attract more foreign investment to the region, translating into more jobs for potential economic migrants. While this approach offers a long-term solution to Mexican migration policy, it could also create unbalanced economic development in Mexico, potentially leading to a competitive environment in the north while depleting the labor force in the southern region.
In addressing drug trafficking and historical levels of violence, AMLO intends to continue supporting national and regional authorities in their fight against these criminal groups, reflecting a pragmatic understanding of the nation’s reality. However, he has criticized the use of military forces to combat drug trafficking organizations, arguing that this approach was implemented without considering long-term consequences. AMLO has promised that, if elected, he will promote a peace dialogue with criminal groups, seeking assistance from international authorities and even the Pope. Although a peace agreement between these syndicates and the national government seems ambitious, its potential success raises public optimism, given the failure of traditional security strategies to reduce violence.
According to most political polls, AMLO is poised to become the next president of Mexico. While his political campaign has been described as populist, it also features pragmatic economic policies. The most radical proposal is AMLO’s plan to organize a peace agreement with drug trafficking groups, an idea that remains appealing but presents multiple challenges.
Latin American Chronicles 
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