The Mexican Ambassador Speaks on AMLO and the Future of Mexican-American Relations

Last Tuesday, on a "Ted Trip" with the St. Albans School of Public of Service, a group of about 10 students and I traveled to the Hudson Institute, a relatively conservative-leaning think tank in downtown Washington, DC, to hear a presentation from the Mexican ambassador, Gerónimo Gutiérrez Fernández. The date of the event, July 3rd was just two days after the extremely consequential Mexican election, which saw populist-leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador win in an landslide with 53% of the vote, with the runner-up, center-right candidate Ricardo Anaya, winning less than 25%. For Gutierrez, who serves as a diplomat under the current president, centrist free trade advocate Enrique Peña Nieto, AMLO's election likely means he's out of a job, but he had a hopeful perspective looking forward to the future of Mexican-American relations.

AMLO, who won a majority in all but two states, represents a rising brand of egalitarian, nationalist populism that arose in large part from a general frustration, especially in the southern, more agrarian states, with uneven distribution of wealth gained from globalization and foreign investment. While tech hubs like Querétaro saw major development and a significant increase in standard of living, less-developed regions dependent on agricultural experienced below-average growth rates and a persistence of poverty and economic stagnation.

In the midst of a radical transfer of power, rapidly-changing national sentiments, and a growing battle over immigration exacerbated by President Trump's inflammatory rhetoric, Ambassador Gutierrez remained quite optimistic about the future of his country, its relations with the United States, and the negotiations to work out a "NAFTA 2.0" over the past year. While he did acknowledge that drug crime had risen under the Nieto government, which scores an approval rating of under 20%, Gutierrez was hesitant to criticize the lack of progress Nieto had made in negotiations with Trump, the inflammatory remarks Trump has made regarding Mexico and its immigration policy, and the overall dissatisfaction with the widespread corruption that has damaged Mexican democracy and led to the current AMLO administration. I always find it interesting hearing from appointed government officials, especially those whose job it is to represent their country favorably, because even when they are not officially on the job, they still feel obligated to paint the country they represent in the best possible light.

As a leftist myself, I am excited to see what AMLO will do once he assumes the presidency in December, and I hope the NAFTA negotiations are as productive as Ambassador Gutierrez would have me believe.