The success of López Obrador is not only a milestone in the history of Mexico but represents a change in the relations of this country with the rest of the continent

On December 1, 2018, when the elected president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), assumes office, the history of the Aztec country and that of Latin America will no longer be as it is known today. The defeat of the PRI, the PAN, and the entire traditional Mexican political class, gathers a historical struggle that transcends borders.

Leer en español:  La victoria de López Obrador cambiará la forma como México se relaciona con el mundo

Mexico, whose economy is one of the largest in the continent, sends a very important message to Latin America and the world because the triumph of AMLO represents much more than the desire for a change of millions of Mexicans. This is because its scope goes beyond the borders of this country and implies the reconfiguration of Latin American geopolitics, whose reflection will be seen in the relations that from now on Mexico will have with the other countries of the region.

Because of the magnitude and meaning of AMLO's triumph, Mexico is expected to be the nation that now leads the famous Latin American integration, to separate Latin America from the influence of the United States. This in order to build an agenda of its own guided by progressive policies and within the framework of harmonious, equitable and respectful relations with the US government.

Mexico, in the Latin American magnifying glass

One of the first people who recognized the triumph of AMLO and congratulated him for the victory, was the president of the United States, Donald Trump, something that attracted a lot of attention, considering the tense relations between this country and Mexico, mainly due to the immigration issue that today is the main cause of conflict between both nations.

In this regard, the Argentine political scientist and writer, Atilio Borón, assured in the newspaper Página12 of Argentina that it is an "unpardonable naivety" to think that López Obrador's triumph is indifferent to Washington. Borón explained that "that is why from the moment he began to travel the country, long before his candidacy was proclaimed, he received a torrent of attacks from the US government. The empire is not wrong in choosing its enemies. "

Borón also assured that what is at stake is a lot, beyond that the AMLO proposal lacks radical stridency. "The fight against drug trafficking, corruption, and neoliberal policies, and a Mexico that returns to look south and take a certain distance from the United States would bring a fresh and hopeful breeze over our America," he said.

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Along with Evo Morales and Nicolás Maduro, other leaders, heads of state and government of Latin America such as Juan Manuel Santos, Martin Vizcarra, Lenín Moreno, Salvador Sánchez Cerén and Carlos Alvarado, among others, also recognized the triumph of AMLO, greeting his victory and auguring successes for the challenges he will face during his government.

"Contrary to what some people say about that supposed 'end of the (progressive) cycle' and of those who, with a certain defeatism, can only see the reach of the right, the peoples demonstrate that they have their way of telling the story and of doing it. That is the most outstanding aspect of the electoral experience in Mexico, an experience that has been cooking for a long time and is not subject to any improvisation. For some, this triumph can be a surprise, but those who follow what happens in Mexico know that this triumph is the product of a work of decades, a conjuncture and a program. All this shows that there is no 'end of cycle', what Mexico lives today excites all the peoples of Latin America, "said the Mexican philosopher, Fernando Buen Abad.

Likewise, the former president of Colombia and former Secretary General of Unasur, Ernesto Samper, said that the triumph of AMLO has an impact in Latin America because it will reactivate the regional social agenda. "The overwhelming support of Mexican voters for AMLO expresses the desire for a change towards policies that respond to the needs of citizens, over and above the interests of the elites," Samper said.

The triumph and the future government of AMLO in Mexico mark a milestone that will be decisive for Latin America, not only because the progressive left will be a government, but because what happens in Mexico during the next six years will undoubtedly affect what may happen in other countries of the continent that also try to give a turn in its history.

Latin American Post | Samuel Augusto Gallego Suárez

Translated from "La victoria de López Obrador cambiará la forma como México se relaciona con el mundo"