President leads huge march by supporters through the capital in show of strength
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led huge crowds of supporters on a march through the capital in a show of political strength by the left-wing populist.
Sunday’s rally came as allies of Lopez Obrador, known by his initials AMLO, jockey for position ahead of the next presidential election in 2024, in which he cannot run.
Lopez Obrador, 69, was mobbed by supporters as he spent more than five hours walking a few kilometres through the crowds to Mexico City’s main square, amid cries of “it’s an honour to be with Obrador”.
An estimated 1.2 million people joined the rally, according to presidential spokesman Jesus Ramirez, although there was no independent confirmation of that figure.
Lopez Obrador delivered a speech outlining what he considered to be the main accomplishments of his four years in office so far, including measures to alleviate poverty, improve public services and fight corruption.
Mariachi bands entertained the president’s supporters, who arrived on buses from around the country, many wearing purple, the colour of his Morena party.
“The president is not alone,” read a placard at the rally, while others vowed support for the government’s controversial electoral reform plan.
“I like the way AMLO governs, always doing everything for the most vulnerable,” said Alma Perez, a 35-year-old teacher who travelled from the southern state of Guerrero to join the march.
Lopez Obrador “has done what no other president has done for the poor”, said Ramon Suarez, a 33-year-old electrician. “He has some areas in which to improve such as security, but that’s not done overnight.”
The rally comes two weeks after tens of thousands joined an opposition protest against the president.
Lopez Obrador wants to “show muscle”, said Fernando Dworak, a political analyst at the Mexican Autonomous Institute of Technology.
“It was a serious mistake by the opposition to believe that the president can be beaten on the streets,” he said, referring to the November 13 protest.
Lopez Obrador, who enjoys an approval rating of nearly 60 per cent, owes much of his popularity to his social welfare programmes aimed at helping the elderly and disadvantaged Mexicans.
Mexican presidents are barred from serving more than one term, and Lopez Obrador again ruled out trying to change the constitution to stay in office.
At the same time, Lopez Obrador is keen to see his Morena party hold onto power after he stands aside.
Three of the president’s allies and potential successors – Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez – accompanied him at the rally.
Lopez Obrador knows “that in order for him to win elections, he needs oiled machinery that works all the time”, said Gustavo Lopez, a political scientist at Tecnologico de Monterrey, a Mexican university.
Opposition parties accuse Lopez Obrador of being an “authoritarian” populist who is “militarising” the country by giving a greater role to the armed forces in both security and infrastructure projects.