In Mexico, AMLO’s anti-corruption referendum falls flat
Last Sunday, a popular referendum—and flagship project of President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO)—asked Mexican voters whether ex-government officials should be subject to investigation and prosecution for allegations of impunity and corruption. However, the referendum, a key component of AMLO’s promises to crack down on graft and government impropriety, was a flop, drawing the participation of only seven percent of eligible voters, well below the 40 percent voter turnout threshold required for the referendum result to be legally binding (although over 98 percent of those who did cast ballots voted in favor of facilitating the prosecution of ex-officials).
Mexico: Dawn of a new era or a return to the past?
The real danger that has arisen from AMLO’s and MORENA’s landslide victories is not expropriation or authoritarianism, but disillusionment with unfulfilled promises and the persistence of corruption, poverty, and violence.
Mexico City’s 2018 elections: An end to the PRD’s 20-year dominance?
After nearly two decades of uninterrupted control over Mexico’s financial, political, and cultural center, the PRD risks losing Mexico City in the face of a challenge from the far left.