The new Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel López Obrador won decisively the Mexican majority placing an end to the “most bloody election cycle ever in Mexico.” According to an Etellekt consulting report, it calculated the assassination of over 145 politicians in the country since September 2017, with 48-50 directly being candidates or pre-candidates of various state and local positions.
During the elections, Obrador spoke against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). As tough negotiations are ongoing with Canada and the United States to update various segments of contention in NAFTA, many feared that his “leftist” stances would add to the difficulty of finalizing an agreement.
According to press reports, Obrador will be adding trusted team members to the NAFTA negotiations to support its progress until his inauguration in December 1. He pledged to work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.
Obrador has also proclaimed that he will respect the autonomy of the Central Bank, will maintain a philosophy of fiscal conservativism to minimize debt on the country, and will minimize increases in taxation. Obrador along with president Peña Nieto also revealed the incoming cabinet team that will help the administration “transition in an efficient and orderly manner for the benefit of all Mexicans.”