Mexico: massive rally upholds President Lopez Obrador

By James Blears

Hundreds of thousands of supporters of Mexico`s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, commemorated the fourth anniversary of his six years non-re-electable term, clogging the streets, thoroughfares and just about everything else. They kept coming, hour after hour. This is a direct response concerning two weeks ago when there was a large protest demonstration about his proposals to reform Mexico`s Electoral Organization. For this most recent event on Sunday, many were bused in from the outlying regions and States, on specially organized fleets of coaches. But Lopez Obrador, or AMLO, as he likes to be known, insisted that no one penny or peso of Federal Government money was spent on facilitating this massive rally. 

In his speech, he extolled democracy, votes for all and stressed NO re-election for himself or any other Mexican President, showing a certain self-restraint, because it took him three goes over eighteen years, to win the top job. The next Presidential Election will be in 2024. The leftist Morena heavyweights vying to become candidates for the party, are Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and Mayor of Mexico City Claudia Sheinbaum. 

Meanwhile, Lopez Obrador enjoys a high popularity rating, refusing to claim his full salary, trying to sell off the luxury Presidential Jet, and refusing to live in the plush Presidential Palace, instead having rooms in downtown Government buildings. Yet, his hugs instead of bullets response against the rampant drug cartels have drawn criticism, ridicule and incredulity, while his increasing reliance on the Military rather than Police as crime busters and troubleshooters, is giving critics verbal ammunition to lambast him for not practicing what he preaches.