Ana María Salazar
With everything that has happened in the last two weeks with the recall referendum, we can now be sure that López Obrador believes he has no limits.
It does not matter if they promote citizen participation as ‘revocation of the mandate’ or ‘ratification of the mandate’.
It does not matter if more people vote for the ratification of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s mandate. Nor does it matter if more people want to revoke the president’s mandate.
It does not matter if the percentage of people is more significant or less than 40 percent of the total valid vote registered when the elections were held in 2018.
The results of April 10, I assure you, no longer matter.
It will surely be López Obrador’s last battle, seeking to weaken or disappear the checks and balances that could limit his power.
Because, as most of you understand, the promotion from the presidency, from López Obrador’s desk, was not a democratic exercise but part of his strategy to consolidate his hard vote. A strategy to secure power.
Some analysts will think that it backfired since the percentage of people who will go out to vote will not reflect the support AMLO received in the 2018 electoral process. But I assure you that…. It doesn’t matter.
Everything that has happened up to a few weeks ago does not matter.
I ask you to pay attention to what has happened in the last two weeks. The Electoral Tribunal ordered the president and Morena not to campaign in favor of the ‘ratification of the mandate’, but this allowed him to express his intentions: to destroy the National Electoral Institute (INE) publicly. But it also opened the door for the president, his cabinet, and the possible 2024 presidential candidates to plainly declare that they are not willing to follow the game’s rules.
That is why we witnessed how the Secretary of the Interior (and possible presidential candidate) not only ignored the decision of the Electoral Tribunal but openly campaigned in favor of the ‘ratification of the mandate’ by threatening the electoral authorities. We also witnessed other governors (and possible presidential candidates) participating in the ‘illegal’ campaign and being part of the threats against the National Electoral Institute.
They openly violated the law. But in the Mexico of the fourth transformation, this does not matter.
With everything that has happened in the last two weeks, I think we can now be sure that Lopez Obrador believes he has no limits. Nothing can stop the president. Not the Constitution, not the Congress, not the international community, not the United States, obviously not the parties, not civil society, not the media. Now no one will be able to stop President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the president of the fourth transformation orders the disappearance of the INE, the nationalization of the retirement funds (Afore), the banks, and other sectors, in addition to ignoring all Supreme Court decisions that do not agree with the president. And if the U.S. continues to insist that Mexico comply with the TMEC agreements, AMLO could very well order the country out of this fundamental trade agreement. And for those of you who are questioning these statements right now, I ask you: who will stop the president?
I want you to imagine a Mexico where the president has no constitutional or institutional limits.
At this moment, the only institution that could stop or contain López Obrador and Morena is the Armed Forces. That is why the most serious thing that happened this week was the use of an Air Force plane to allow the Secretary of the Interior (and possible presidential candidate) to travel to proselytize and the public and open participation of General Luis Rodriguez Bucio, commander of the National Guard in events to promote the ‘ratification of the mandate’.
The Armed Forces, at this moment, are the last instance that could ensure governance in a country where the president has no limits and does not respect the rule of law. And in a country where the president is willing to do anything to secure power and his historical legacy, the Armed Forces will be his main weapon to ensure continuity. They will have to decide to campaign in favor of Morena, secure the vote in favor of the president’s dolphin, or allow organized crime to secure the elections in favor of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s candidates.
The Armed Forces will have to make the decision, once again, to be the last instance of the survival of democracy in Mexico.
