Elections in Mexico are a little different than those in the United States. For instance, the Mexican president-elect receives a certificate ratifying the win. On Wednesday, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO, as he is commonly known, received his certificate.
Antonio Garza, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, spoke to Texas Standard Host Joy Diaz about the changes that the new Mexican administration represents for the nation and for its relationship with the U.S.
Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) held uninterrupted power in Mexican politics for 71 years – since 1929. In 2000, another party took complete power. Garza says that AMLO fits the mold for how parties obtain power in Mexico.
“In this election cycle, the numbers were so large for [AMLO], that he essentially has not only won the presidency, but both houses of the federal government and nearly four of the eight governorships that were up for election, but in the state houses, his party holds a bit over half of those,” Garza says. “I think it’s a fair assessment that he really holds the reigns of government in the country today.”
In terms of U.S.-Mexico relations, Garza says he’s optimistic about the upcoming AMLO administration.
“In the wake of the election on July 1, the president elect in Mexico has been very positive about the signs he has sent with his commitment to free trade, his desire that he be integrated in the negotiation of NAFTA with the hopes of getting an agreement done fairly quickly,” Garza says. “Secondly, from the standpoint of the administration of the U.S., [AMLO] sent a very high level delegation including the Secretary of State, the Treasury, and others to meet with the transition team almost immediately. The steps that are being taken are very positive and it’s all in the details.”
Written by Haley Butler.
