Mexico’s Historical Election Puts New Party in Power

Will They Eliminate Corruption as Promised?

Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) won Mexico’s presidential election on July 1. It is the first presidential campaign won by a leftist candidate in Mexico in decades.

AMLO adopted a more centrist approach than in his previous presidential attempts in 2006 and 2012, without leaving his core message behind: eliminate the unrestrained corruption, violence and poor governance in Mexico.

For many years, AMLO has been the center of national politics and public life. This year, his presidential campaign was framed by a duality in his public speeches: one appealing to his electoral base and the other focused on investors and the international community. He frequently pledged to end corruption Mexico.

AMLO campaigned against the unfair capture of political power and the current administration’s reliance on private interests, as well as its corrupt activities. However, he also said he will honor the autonomy of the central bank, Banco de Mexico, and contracts and deals made by his predecessors.

AMLO believes strongly that Mexico will find stability with the leftist movement he represents. He is convinced that the end to corruption is found in honesty — that if the president is honest, others will follow suit.

AMLO’s victory is challenging Mexico’s existing political structure. He has upended the country’s traditional political party system by defeating both the incumbent party, the PRI, and major opposition party, the PAN. Business will now watch if he seeks to shift the government’s economic, trade and investment strategies.

On his international agenda, AMLO says he is open to negotiations with the United States, particularly on border issues, migrant flows through Mexico by Central Americans, and trade. AMLO is willing to help Mexico’s NAFTA negotiating team as the three partners work to finalize a modernized agreement this year. He would like to leave behind past political rivalries, and is open to working with opposition parties for Mexico’s benefit. He wants Mexico to become more self-reliant in key economic areas such as agriculture and energy.

AMLO’s win was accompanied by his party, MORENA, also capturing a majority of seats in Congress and winning governorships in several key states, including the federal district of Mexico City. This will help him advance his agenda after he is formally inaugurated in December. The opposition parties will likely be restructured in the upcoming years.

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