Mexico 2018: AMLO's hour

Abstract

In July 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) was elected President of Mexico in the largest electoral landslide in Mexico's democratic history. As a self-proclaimed transformational candidate, AMLO made big promises in areas of great concern for Mexican citizens: anti-corruption, criminal violence and security, and the economy. Support for AMLO remained extremely strong in 2018; however, to retain that support he will need to make concrete progress in these areas. AMLO and his party coalition face formidable challenges, not the least of which are high expectations from citizens bent on major changes in governance and policy outcomes. Critics are concerned about a united executive and legislative coalition unchecked by countervailing powers, threatening a potential return to the presidencialismo of the twentieth century.En julio de 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) fue elegido Presidente de México en el mayor derrumbe electoral en la historia democrática de México. Como un autoproclamado candidato transformador, AMLO hizo grandes promesas en áreas de gran preocupación para los ciudadanos mexicanos: anticorrupción, violencia criminal y seguridad, y la economía. El apoyo a AMLO se mantuvo extremadamente fuerte en 2018; sin embargo, para conservar ese apoyo, necesitará hacer progresos concretos en estas áreas. AMLO y su coalición de partidos enfrentan desafíos formidables, entre los cuales se encuentran las altas expectativas de los ciudadanos que se inclinan por los cambios importantes en la gobernabilidad y los resultados de las políticas públicas. Los críticos están preocupados por una coalición ejecutiva y legislativa unida no controlada por poderes compensatorios, que amenaza con un posible retorno al presidencialismo del siglo veinte.

Social media and support for democracy in 18 Latin American countries: A comparative analysis of moderated mediation (2018–2020)

“…In Mexico, the candidate from the Mexican Left in 2018, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ran for the third time. In that election, unlike in the two previous processes, the political conditions were favourable for López Obrador’s victory – first, the two main political forces in the country were at odds with each other, and second, the candidate’s disruptive speech had a positive response from an electorate that felt disenchanted with the political system (Crespo, 2019; Mattiace, 2019). In this case, social networks constituted an important platform to disseminate the political platforms of the then-candidate during the presidential campaign.…”