One Country, Two Presidentes

Mexico’s president-elect pushes ahead on trade, oil, and the budget, but he won’t take office until December

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The first time Andrés Manuel López Obrador sat down with his transition team after his July 1 victory in Mexico’s presidential election, he launched into a four-hour speech. López Obrador, known by his nickname, AMLO, didn’t stop for food, coffee, or water. Aides kept expecting him to call a break, but he never did. By the end, one thing was clear: Mexico’s left-wing leader-in-waiting, who doesn’t take office until December, plans to start advancing his agenda immediately. On everything from trade talks to oil auctions to next year’s budget, he’ll essentially be co-running the country with President Enrique Peña Nieto. “He’s completely overshadowed the current government, and there’s a sense he’s now a participant in decision-making,” says Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington. “It was such a dramatic victory. The energy is entirely with the new government.”

That was clear when AMLO’s camp announced he’d be meeting visiting U.S. dignitaries, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Only later did confirmation come from the office of the president (whose poll ratings are near record lows): Yes, Peña Nieto would hold talks with the Americans, too.