Mexico Has Its Own Fiery Populist, and Growing Antagonism with US May Put Him in Power Nacha Cattan - Bloomberg
go to original February 3, 2017

Veteran leftist politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (Dario Lopez-Mills/Associated Press)

By the time the last brick is laid atop President Donald Trump’s Mexican wall, it’s a fair bet that someone more antagonistic toward the U.S. will hold power on its southern side.

Especially if that someone is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Which, thanks to Trump, looks increasingly likely.

The politician known locally as Amlo is the early frontrunner in Mexico’s 2018 presidential race. By itself, that may not mean much: Polls are unreliable, voting is a long way off, and Lopez Obrador is a two-time election loser in a country that stood aloof from Latin America’s populist turn and instead tethered its economy ever closer to the U.S.

But good luck selling that line to Mexicans right now. The momentum on Amlo’s side is palpable. Amid a spasm of national rage, voters are increasingly sympathetic to the cries of a radical outsider who promises to end a relationship of “subordination” to the U.S. and rebuild the domestic economy. In other words, Trump - with his brash pledges to rewrite Nafta and stick Mexico with the bill for building the wall - has created the perfect climate for an anti-Trump south of the border.

“Winner of today’s U.S. Mexico dust-up: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador,” Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer tweeted last week. “Hope Trump is looking forward to working with him.”

Read the rest at Bloomberg

Related: The Anti-Trump Is Rising in Mexico. Each Snub Makes Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Stronger (Financial Advisor Magazine)

Related: Mexico Opposition Leader Lopez Obrador Urges UN Lawsuit Over Donald Trump Wall (Reuters)

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