Mexican president voices regret on growth, but says economy fairer

12/03/19 – Reuters

By Dave Graham

Mexico’s president conceded on Sunday that economic growth has fallen short of his expectations, but said that wealth is now more fairly distributed as he celebrated a year in office riding high in opinion polls, in defiance of mounting problems.

A year ago, veteran leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador assumed the presidency pledging to raise economic growth to 4% per year. Instead, the economy has stagnated and slipped into a mild recession during the first half of the year.

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Mexican voices: 1 year into the López Obrador presidency

Photo by Ricardo Esquivel on Pexels.com

12/01/19 – AP News

By Amy Guthrie

Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been president of Mexico for a year, after a landslide 2018 vote. He pledged a presidency close to the people, austere, with punishment for the corrupt and greater safety and economic well-being.

Not all has gone according to plan. The country’s murder rate continues to log record highs, while economic growth this year has been flat and borders on recession. Corruption and crime remain difficult plagues to eradicate, though the administration has taken on some high-profile targets.

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Mexico stands by Lopez Obrador, poll says, even as violence soars, economy crumbles

12/01/19 -The Dallas Morning News

By Alfredo Corchado

As Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador marks his first year in office on Sunday, Mexicans’ romance with the left-leaning populist leader remains strong.

But a new poll conducted by Mexico City’s Reforma newspaper, co-sponsored by The Dallas Morning News and The Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center at Southern Methodist University, shows signs of fading enthusiasm as the nation faces weariness over shocking violence and slowing economic growth.

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Pete Buttigieg says he’s open to sending U.S. troops to Mexico

11/17/19 – The Sacramento Bee

By Bryan Anderson

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said at a Latino forum in Los Angeles on Sunday that he’d be willing to send U.S. troops into Mexico to combat gang and drug violence.

“There is a scenario where we could have security cooperation,” Buttigieg said.

Even so, he added a caveat: “I’d only order American troops into conflict if American lives were on the line and if it was necessary to meet treaty obligations.”

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Former Bolivian president Morales heads to Mexico for asylum

11/12/19 – Reuters

By Daina Beth Solomon

Bolivia’s former president, Evo Morales, was flying to Mexico on Tuesday after fleeing his South American homeland, seeking refuge under a leftist government that has supported the veteran socialist in the wake of a disputed election.

Bolivia’s first indigenous president came under Mexico’s protection after he departed Bolivia late on Monday on a Mexican Air Force jet, Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said.

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Mexican Senate approves mid-term vote recall for presidency

10/15/19 – Reuters

By Anthony Esposito and Lizbeth Diaz

Mexico’s Senate on Tuesday approved a controversial constitutional change that would give the public a chance to vote again to either retain or remove a president halfway through their six-year term.

The controversial plan for a “recall vote” now goes to the lower chamber of Congress, where it is expected to pass given the large majority held by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s leftist MORENA party in both houses.

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Mexico offers protection to six people at its embassy in Ecuador

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10/14/19 – Reuters

By Anthony Esposito

The Mexican embassy in Ecuador’s capital Quito has offered protection and shelter to six people, including legislators and their spouses, Mexico’s foreign ministry said on Monday.

The embassy on Saturday offered protection and shelter to opposition legislator Gabriela Rivadeneira, a member of the party of former Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, whose allies have been accused of stirring up unrest by President Lenin Moreno.

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