Presidency Of Andrés Manuel López Obrador

Andrés Manuel López Obrador's tenure as the President of Mexico began with his inauguration on 1 December 2018, and ended on 30 September 2024. López Obrador, a member of the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) and former Head of Government of the Federal District, had previously run for president in the 2006 and 2012 elections. He assumed office following a landslide victory in the 2018 presidential election. Upon his inauguration, he became the oldest person to hold the office since the change to a six-year term of office.

2018 election

For the 2018 Mexican presidential election, López Obrador's political party, MORENA, formed the coalition ''Juntos Haremos Historia'' with left-wing Labor Party and socially conservative right-wing Social Encounter Party.

On 1 July 2018, López Obrador won a landslide victory against all other candidates, managing to secure 53% of the popular vote. His closest opponent, Ricardo Anaya, only garnered 22%. On 8 August, the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF) certified López Obrador's victory, with his coalition becoming the dominant political force in the Mexican Congress, securing 69 out of 128 Senate seats and 308 out of 500 Chamber of Deputies seats.

López Obrador's victory was met by various reactions around the world. Congratulations came from world politicians that included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

Transition period

Following his victory, on 2 July, López Obrador announced his transition team, comprising Alfonso Romo and Carlos Manuel Urzúa Macías for the economy; Héctor Vasconcelos and Marcelo Ebrard for foreign relations; , Olga Sánchez Cordero, and Tatiana Clouthier for domestic affairs; and for communications.

On 3 July, he met incumbent president Enrique Peña Nieto at the National Palace, where they spoke on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the construction of the New International Airport for Mexico City (NAICM), energy reform, the budget, and security. In a departure from standard presidential security practices, López Obrador attended the meeting without the presence of bodyguards.

Once his victory was certified by the Federal Electoral Tribunal, López Obrador once again met with Peña Nieto on 9 August to formally begin the transition process. After the meeting, López Obrador announced that they had agreed to establish of the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection and the office of the Attorney General of Mexico.

The LXIV Legislature of the Mexican Congress, which convened on 1 September, laid the groundwork for López Obrador's proposed government restructuring. Key initiatives included the creation of the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection; transforming the Center for Investigation and National Security (CISEN) into the National Intelligence Centre (CNI); converting the Secretariat of Social Development (Sedesol) into the Secretariat of Welfare; and merging the Presidential General Staff (EMP) and the Presidential Guard Corps (CGP) with the Secretariat of National Defense. These changes were formalized on 1 December, following López Obrador's inauguration.

From 22 to 25 October, he held a nationwide referendum on whether or not the New International Airport for Mexico City was to be scrapped, citing that the project was rife with graft and a waste of taxpayer money. About 70% of the results voted against the continuation of the project. López Obrador insisted on expanding the Santa Lucía Air Force Base instead.

During the transition period, López Obrador and his team held meetings with Peña Nieto’s cabinet, as well as with the (CCE), the National Governors Conference (CONAGO), and presidential candidates José Antonio Meade and Ricardo Anaya. He also spoke with international figures such as Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; Qiu Xhiaoqui, China’s Ambassador to Mexico; Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; and members of the U.S. delegation attending his inauguration, including Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State; Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury; Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of Homeland Security; and Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor and son-in-law to President Donald Trump.

Inauguration

On 1 December 2018, López Obrador was inaugurated at the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro at 11:00 CST. At the main podium, he was accompanied by Martí Batres, the President of the Senate; Enrique Peña Nieto, the outgoing president; Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, the President of the Chamber of Deputies; and Luis María Aguilar, the President of the Supreme Court of Justice. They were flanked by three cadets from each branch of the armed forces: one from the Heroic Military Academy, one female cadet from the Escuela Militar de Aviación, and one from the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar.

Following the formal welcome and announcement by the President of Congress, López Obrador read the oath outlined in Article 87 of the Constitution of Mexico. At the end of the phrase "the people have given me", he added the word "democratically". The transfer of the presidential sash then took place, with the outgoing president handing it over to the President of Congress, who then passed it to the new president. López Obrador was the first president to address Congress since the year 2000, following the brief inaugurations of Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto, who had only taken the oath and then left. At the end of the speech, he was honored with the ''Himno Nacional Mexicano''.

The foreign representation at the inauguration included the attendance of 14 heads of state and government:

* Felipe VI, King of Spain
* Miguel Díaz-Canel (President of Cuba)
* Evo Morales (President of Bolivia)
* Martín Vizcarra (President of Peru)
* Juan Orlando Hernández (President of Honduras)
* Jimmy Morales (President of Guatemala)
* Lenín Moreno (President of Ecuador)
* Iván Duque Márquez (President of Colombia)
* Brahim Gali (President of Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic)
* Colville Young ( Governor General of Belize)
* Julie Payette (Governor General of Canada)
* Danilo Medina (President of the Dominican Republic)
* Jovenel Moïse (President of Haiti)
* António Costa (Prime Minister of Portugal)

President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro did not attend the inauguration ceremony, but did attend a reception in the National Palace. Representatives from 37 countries, including the United States, China, Singapore, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Russia, and Ukraine also attended.

A rally in support of López Obrador took place in the Zócalo of Mexico City, where representatives from 68 indigenous groups presented him with the ''bastón de mando'', a traditional ceremonial staff. This symbolic gesture marked the first time a Mexican president had received the staff, signifying the recognition of López Obrador as a leader by the indigenous groups. The event concluded with López Obrador addressing an estimated 160,000 people.

On the same day as the inauguration, López Obrador broke several longstanding presidential traditions. He abolished the Presidential General Staff, an institution charged with protecting and safeguarding the President of Mexico and the First Lady of Mexico. He also opened the official residence of Los Pinos to the public and relocated the presidential offices to the National Palace.

Cabinet

In December 2017, López Obrador released his cabinet listing, composed of eight men and eight women. The proposed cabinet remained mostly unchanged, with the exception of Héctor Vasconcelos, was initially chosen to serve as Secretary of Foreign Affairs but was later replaced by Marcelo Ebrard. In October 2018, López Obrador selected Luis Cresencio Sandoval as Secretary of Defense and José Rafael Ojeda Durán as Secretary of the Navy.

López Obrador proposed dispersing the cabinet throughout the country's states, with the objective of "promoting development throughout the national territory", while the Presidency, the Secretariat of National Defense, Secretariat of the Navy, the Secretariat of the Interior, Secretariat of Foreign Affairs, and the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit remained in the capital.

Reforms

On 1 December 2018, the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection was created, with its responsibilities previously covered by the National Security Commission, an entity under the Secretariat of the Interior.

On 20 December 2018, due to the 2014 political-electoral reform, the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) was dissolved, and the autonomous Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR) was established outside the cabinet.

On 1 December 2018, the Secretariat of Social Development (SEDESOL) was renamed the Secretariat of Welfare and the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries, and Food was renamed the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development. On 20 October 2021, the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) was renamed the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation (SICT). The name changes did not affect the positions' responsibilities.

Cabinet changes

Throughout his term, López Obrador's cabinet experienced significant turnover. In the first four years of his administration, there were fifteen cabinet changes.

Pursuit of other public offices

* María Luisa Albores, the Secretary of Welfare, transitioned in 2020 to become to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.
* Alfonso Durazo, the Secretary of Security, resigned in 2020 to run for the governorship of Sonora.
* Olga Sánchez Cordero. the Secretary of the Interior, resigned in 2021 to return to her Senate seat, which she had left to become part of the cabinet.
* Adán Augusto López and Marcelo Ebrard, the Secretaries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, respectively, resigned in 2023 to compete for the presidential nomination of the Morena- PT-PVEM coalition.
* Rocío Nahle, the Secretary of Energy, resigned in 2023 to run for the governorship of Veracruz.

Loss in confidence in López Obrador

* Carlos Manuel Urzúa Macías, the Secretary of Finance, resigned in 2019 over disagreements with the president, citing concerns over economic policies and the appointment of unqualified individuals to key positions.
* Javier Jiménez Espriú, the Secretary of Infrastructure, resigned in 2020 as he disagreed with López Obrador's decision to entrust the operation of Mexico's ports and customs to the Navy.

Domestic policy

López Obrador gave his ''Primer Informe del Gobierno'' (State of the Union address) on 1 September 2019, before 400 legislators, governors, and business leaders. During his hour-and-a-half speech, he emphasized how he has eliminated a lot of corruption and helped the poor. The speech generated 125,000 tweets and 27,000,000 viewers.

Economic policy

López Obrador's economic policies, characterized by a commitment to fiscal conservatism and social equity, focused on maintaining low public debt through spending cuts while increasing social spending. His policies aimed to reduce reliance on imports, strengthen state-run companies like Pemex and the CFE, and stimulate growth and employment through large-scale infrastructure projects. While the country maintained macroeconomic stability, his administration faced criticism for sluggish economic growth and poor investments in other sectors.

Upon taking office, López Obrador faced significant internal and external challenges, contributing to zero economic growth during his first year in office. These challenges included the excessive growth of public debt under the previous administration, conflicts with economic actors, the China–United States trade war, and Donald Trump's tariff policies. Some setbacks were self-inflicted, such as the cancellation of the Mexico City Texcoco Airport and reduced spending due to his austerity measures, which brought down construction investment. However, macroeconomic indicators remained stable, and the year also saw the ratification of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement.

In 2020, the Mexican economy was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent stock market collapse, with GDP plummeting by 17% in the second quarter before rebounding 12.1% in the third quarter. The annual GDP forecast improved from -9.8% to -8.9%. López Obrador's commitment to austerity, even amidst the crisis, helped maintain a low budget deficit and public debt, earning him a reputation as a fiscal hawk. Throughout the post-pandemic period, the country's GDP grew by 4.1% in 2021 and 3.1% in 2022. The country also saw a rise in inflation, which peaked in mid-2022. Due to low debt, the Mexico had access to international bond markets, which, when combined with remittances, foreign investment, international reserves, and a strengthening peso—dubbed the "super peso"—boosted economic performance. Nearshoring, driven by the China–United States trade war, further bolstered economic performance. By 2023, the country had recovered from the pandemic, ranking as the 12th largest global economy with GDP growth of 3.2%, and by May 2024, it had the lowest unemployment rate in the OECD.

López Obrador's policies included significant investment in the southern regions of Mexico, which he characterized as a strategy for economic revitalization. Key projects included the Tren Maya, Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and the Dos Bocas Refinery. Near the end of his term, these investments had significantly stimulated regional economies, with Oaxaca and Quintana Roo emerging as some of the fastest-growing states in Mexico in terms of economic growth in 2023.

Austerity measures

Upon entering office, López Obrador implemented his proposed "Republican Austerity," which aimed to reduce spending on political privileges and non-essential government products and services. He eliminated presidential pensions and set a salary cap for government officials, ensuring no one could earn more than the president, subsequently slashing his salary by 60%. He opted not to reside in Los Pinos, the costly presidential complex with maintenance costs totaling around MXN $30 billion over the previous two administrations, instead moving the presidential offices to the National Palace and opening Los Pinos to the public.

López Obrador also auctioned various government planes and helicopters, including the presidential plane "José María Morelos y Pavón", which was sold to Tajikistan on 20 April 2023, for approximately MXN $1.658 billion. The proceeds funded hospitals in Tlapa, Guerrero, and Tuxtepec, Oaxaca.

López Obrador sought to reduce the bureaucratic system, which he believed primarily benefited elites and mismanaged public funds. His budgets often included spending cuts to various government agencies, including prosecutors and the public health system, leading to layoffs, salary reductions, and poorer services. To centralize operations and address the reduced workforce, López Obrador often utilized the military for infrastructure projects.

In February 2024, he proposed eliminating autonomous government agencies, arguing they duplicated the functions of certain cabinet ministries, and planned to absorb their responsibilities into the Mexican cabinet, which he claimed would save money and streamline government operations. The proposal faced criticism from many, including opposition members, who viewed it as retaliation against these autonomous agencies.

Labor

One of López Obrador's first actions was implementing a minimum wage increase, raising it from MXN $88.36 to MXN $102.68, marking a 16.2% rise—the largest increase since 1996. This adjustment had an immediate impact on workers' average salaries, which saw a 5.7% increase. His administration continued to increase the minimum wage annually, reaching MXN $248.93 by 2024. In February 2024, López Obrador proposed a constitutional amendment to ensure that the minimum wage consistently rises above the rate of inflation.

Taxation

Rather than pursuing comprehensive tax reform, López Obrador's administration focused on combating tax evasion. To attract and retain foreign investment, particularly from the United States, taxes were reduced in northern border areas, promoting economic expansion in these regions.

Military and security

Shortly after his inauguration, he dissolved the Estado Mayor Presidencial (Presidential Guard), an institution charged with protecting and safeguarding the President of Mexico and the First Lady of Mexico. In December 2018, López Obrador ordered the creation of a truth commission to re-examine one of the country's most notorious unsolved crimes: the kidnapping and presumed murder of 43 trainee teachers who disappeared after they were attacked by cartel gunmen and corrupt police officers. On 1 March 2019, López Obrador said that he would open up the General National Archives to show how intelligence agencies, particularly the CISEN, targeted activists and opposition groups during the Dirty War. During the presidency of López Obrador, the traditional Revolution Day civil-military-athletic parade on 20 November was reinstated that same year (2019) after five years.

Before becoming president, López Obrador campaigned on a promise to take the military off the streets of Mexico. In keeping with this promise, he released a plan to create a Mexican National Guard under control of the military and the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection (which was itself established by López Obrador) and would be in charge of "preventing and combating crime". It was the merger of elite parts of the Federal police, Military police, Navy, Chief of Staff's Guard and other top Mexican Security agencies Obrador stated that the creation of a new National Guard would be critical to solving Mexico's ongoing security crisis. On 28 February, the Congress of the Union voted to approve a 60,000-member agency, which was officially established on 30 June 2019. By early 2020, López Obrador restored the Naval Infantry Corps' role in fighting drug cartels, and he relied on the military for tasks such as law enforcement and construction.

Ovidio Guzmán López, a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel and son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán was briefly arrested in Culiacán by members of the National Guard in October 2019, setting off an operation which resulted in several deaths and Guzmán's release by authorities. Hours later, Ovidio Guzmán was freed, and President Obrador supported the decision in order to "prevent more bloodshed" as well as "a massacre".

Drug war

One of his campaign promises in relation to the Mexican Drug War was a controversial "strategy for peace": a program to give amnesty to all Mexicans involved in the production and trafficking of drugs. It was proposed as a way to stop the drug trade and the turf violence that spread as a result as well as act as a deterrent to other people from following that path, particularly low-income young people and poor farmers. President López Obrador pointed out that contrary to his proposed plan, past approaches failed because they were based on a misunderstanding of the core problem, which according to him, is the country's social disparities that resulted from economic policies of past presidencies in the years prior that caused the drug problem in the first place which in turn have turned the country into a hotbed of the illegal drug trade globally. On 30 January 2019, López Obrador declared the end of the Mexican war on drugs, stating that he will now focus on reducing spending and will direct military/police/National Guard efforts on armed gasoline theft rings (locally known as huachicolero) that have been stealing more than 70 thousand barrels of oil, diesel and gasoline daily from the nation's gas pipelines.

In 2023, President López Obrador announced that he was open to a peace agreement with the cartels. The announcement came after an activist published an open letter calling the cartels to stop the practice of forced disappearance.

Lithium reserves

In April 2022, Congress passed a law, prohibiting private companies from obtaining licences for lithium extraction.
In February 2023, the president signed a decree nationalising the lithium reserves of Mexico, declaring it the property of the nation. López Obrador noted the enormous importance of the natural resource for the rechargeable battery industry and plans to cooperate with Bolivia and Peru in the technological sphere, as well as to adopt the Bolivian model of lithium mining, wherein companies have to commit to establish a complete value creation chain.

Mining reform

In early May 2023, the Senate passed with 66 votes in favor and none in opposition, a new law regulating the mining sector. According to Senator , the law is supposed to curtail privileges the sector enjoys, since the last law concerning mining regulation passed in 1992, which relaxed laws on the sector. The law reduces the period of validity of extraction permits from 50 to 30 years, obligates companies to consult with affected communities and present a restoration plan for the impacted environment and outright outlaws new permits in regions with a shortage of water.

Reform of the National Electoral Institute

In February 2023, a controversial law reforming the National Electoral Institute (INE) was passed by the Congress of the Union. The reform entails cuts to the funding and personnel of the INE, forcing the dismissal of about a third of its employees but saving the state about Mex$3.5bn.

Espionage on government employees

At the end of May 2023, the ''New York Times'' published a story on the espionage of the state secretary for human rights Alejandro Encinas Rodríguez via the Pegasus spy software, which the media outlet connected with ongoing investigations of Encinas on the conduct and actions of the armed forces. In a press conference, López Obrador denied any involvement on the part of the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), while stating he did not know who was responsible for the espionage. Encinas is a long time political ally of López Obrador, who already supported him two decades ago during his mayorship.

Foreign policy

As of December 2019, he has not visited any foreign country since assuming office, often saying that "The best foreign policy is domestic policy". Despite this, in his first year, he had hosted multiple foreign leaders in Mexico City, including Pedro Sánchez of Spain in January and Miguel Diaz Canel of Cuba and Carlos Alvarado Quesada of Costa Rica in October.

During the 2019 Bolivian political crisis, President Evo Morales was granted the right of political asylum by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard at López Obrador's direction. López Obrador justified his actions in a press conference the following day, taking the position alongside other governments such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina that Morales was the victim of a political coup d'état. Morales later went to Argentina, and the Bolivian government issued a warrant for his arrest on 18 December. Days later, Bolivia deployed a large number of security forces outside the embassy and ambassador's residence in La Paz, and the Mexican government claimed they were intimidating, harassing, and photographing diplomats.

On 8 July 2020, he made his first foreign trip as President to Washington, D.C., where he met with President Donald Trump at the White House.

On 18 November 2021, President Joe Biden hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico at the White House for the first North American Leaders' Summit (NALS) since 2016.

In 2021 and 2022, López Obrador advocated for a regional union, comprising the nations of the Americas, resembling the European Union.

In March 2023, López Obrador defended former U.S. president Donald Trump against a potential indictment, saying that "Right now, former President Trump is declaring that they are going to arrest. If that were the case...it would be so that his name doesn't appear on the ballot.” The same month, he lashed out at the United States, claiming the country is "anti-democratic" in seeking to arrest Julian Assange and deny Trump an opportunity to seek re-election. He also referenced the allegations that the U.S. is responsible for the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage instead of Russia, saying "If we are talking about acts of violence, how is it that an award-winning journalist in the United States claims that the US government sabotaged the gas pipeline from Russia to Europe?", and criticized the fentanyl epidemic in the U.S.Mexico’s president accuses US of lying about his country’s human rights record
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See also

* Opinion polling for the 2018 Mexican general election

References

{{reflist

Presidencies of Mexico
2018 establishments in Mexico
2024 disestablishments in Mexico
Executive branch of the government of Mexico
2010s in Mexican politics
2020s in Mexican politics