by Sofia Miselem Agence France Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday easily won a divisive referendum he promoted on whether he should step down or complete his term — a vote marked by low turnout. With an approval rating of nearly 60 percent, Lopez Obrador’s presidency had never appeared seriously at risk, and the left-wing populist was himself one of the vote’s biggest cheerleaders. The 68-year-old […]
Tag: Obrador
Mexican president declares ‘drug war’ over
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared the country’s war on drugs over Wednesday, saying his government would no longer prioritize using the army to capture cartel kingpins. However, critics questioned the announcement, pointing out that the leftist president has not taken the army off the streets as he pledged during his campaign, and is proposing the creation of a national guard that opponents say would permanently militarize the country. […]
Fuel pipeline blaze in Mexico kills at least 73
An explosion and fire in central Mexico killed at least 73 people after hundreds swarmed to the site of an illegal fuel-line tap to gather gasoline amid a government crackdown on fuel theft, officials said. Hidalgo state governor Omar Fayad announced that the toll had increased to 73 after the discovery of five additional bodies. The blast — which Fayad said injured 74 people — occurred near Tlahuelilpan, a town of 20,000 people about an hour’s drive […]
Mexico president-elect wants Canada in new NAFTA
TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico (AFP) — Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called Monday for a three-way trade deal with the United States and Canada, saying a two-way agreement reached with the US was just a first step. “It’s important that Canada also be included,” said the leftist president-elect after the US and Mexico announced a bilateral deal to update the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). “We’re very interested in it remaining a three-country […]
Mexico’s new leader: ‘Nobody will threaten us’ with wall
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico’s President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed Monday his country would not be threatened by a wall, in a thinly veiled rebuke to US President Donald Trump’s jabs across the border. “Mexico is going to become a power — and will change the balance of power. Nobody will threaten us that our borders will be closed or militarized,” warned Lopez Obrador, who takes office December 1. “This will be possible […]
Trump sending top team to Mexico to woo next president
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump is sending a team of top officials to meet Mexico’s president-elect on Friday to show the importance he places on the countries’ relationship, the US said, after months of deeply strained ties. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will lead a high-level delegation for meetings with anti-establishment leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who won a landslide victory in Mexico’s July 1 elections, opening a new chapter in what […]
Mexico president-elect to have Congressional majority: official results
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will have a majority in both houses of Congress, according to preliminary official results released Tuesday, cementing the anti-establishment leftist’s landslide win. He will be the first president in Mexico’s modern democracy to have an absolute majority in both houses of Congress. Lopez Obrador’s coalition, led by his party, Morena, will have 307 seats in the 500-member lower house and 69 in the 128-member Senate, the […]
Mexico presidential candidates open race slamming Trump
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico’s top presidential candidates launched their campaigns Sunday vowing to take a harder line against Donald Trump, with the leftist front-runner saying his country is done being the US president’s “pinata.” Just as candidates were putting the finishing touches on their opening campaign speeches for Mexico’s July 1 elections, Trump gatecrashed the kick-off party via Twitter, accusing the country of doing “very little” to stop illegal migration and drugs, and renewing […]





