México: Will López Obrador get rid of the presidential plane?
The elected president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has confirmed what will happen to the presidential airplane during his administration
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) said throughout his campaign that he will not get IGNORE INTO the plane José María Morelos y Pavón, the name of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner for presidential use, considering that its cost was excessive, as well as "being an insult to the village." As if that were not enough, he declared that it would be sold and that "he had already offered it to Donald Trump." This week he revived the controversy by reaffirming his campaign statements, adding that the entire presidential fleet would be sold, that only four helicopters would be kept for use as an ambulance, reported Reporte Indigo. The newspaper quotes Alfonso Romo, next head of the Mexican presidency office, who corroborated the information and added that the sale will be made through a tender for transparency. López Obrador seeks to follow the example of presidents such as José Mujica who traveled on commercial flights during his government. The president-elect of Mexico affirms that the aircraft is a great expense, this revives the discussion about whether an aircraft is really indispensable for the rulers of a country.
Leer en español: México: ¿López Obrador se quedará sin avión presidencial?
In 2012, the Mexican government headed by Felipe Calderón announced the purchase of a new plane destined to be the presidential transport. Its official cost was 218 million dollars, according to The Huffington Post. From the year of the purchase, the current president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador criticized the high cost of the artifact in the face of the problems that the country has in terms of poverty and inequality. During his campaign, he repeatedly said that this kind of plane did not have it nor Obama (or Trump after his election), a fact that has been denied by Verificado MX, a platform dedicated to corroborating the veracity of the data in the news to avoid the fake news. The Huffington Post cites Verificado MX clarifying that the cost of the Mexican aircraft was lower than the current Air Force One that amounted to 330 million dollars, while the new American presidential aircraft will cost 1.95 billion dollars each, a figure that multiplies for 9 the cost of the Mexican plane.
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Calderón inherited to his successor the plane, which was delivered after his six-year term ended, generating serious criticism for the enormous expense and opulence of the aircraft. The same American newspaper says that the government of Enrique Peña Nieto considered the sale of the plane. However, after a study that showed that it would be more expensive to sell it, they decided to keep it, according to ADN Político. The use of airplanes for heads of state and government was extended during the 20th century, considering it a sign of the economic power of the countries. Possibly the most famous is the mentioned Air Force One of the president of the United States of America. Its fame lies in its construction and special resources to provide it with security and technology, superior to any other, which has been a symbol of American power for decades.
In Latin America, in addition to the Mexican aircraft, there are others that serve as transport in several countries, but with lower costs, such as that of Evo Morales. However, there are also examples of countries that do not have a presidential plane because of its high cost, as is the case of Uruguay, says the Animal Político site.
LatinAmerican Post | Luis Angel Hernández Liborio
Translated from "México: ¿López Obrador se quedará sin avión presidencial?"
