AMLO at last (Dec. 3, 2018)

Andrés Manuel López Obrador assumed Mexico's presidency on Saturday. The festivities included an indigenous traditional spiritual cleansing, during which AMLO said he sought to "purify public life in Mexico," and promised not to lie, steal or betray Mexico's people. (Associated Press) He also lambasted the country's recent history of free-market, pro-trade policies, as well as his predecessor's signature energy reform, reports the Washington Post.

Citizens turned out in record numbers to watch AMLO's journey to swear in, and the new president met with supporters outside his house before starting the day, reports Animal Político. In the Chamber of Deputies lawmakers defied protocol and cheered often, while his speech was transmitted live on giant screens around the city. 

AMLO won by a landslide earlier this year, but the Guardian asks if he meet citizens' astronomically high expectations? The new president said in his speech that he doesn't have the right to fail. He might have unconventional approaches, but his promises have been wildly popular, reports the Washington Post listing several of the most notable.

It's the first time since 1929 that the country’s leader will come from outside the PRI and the PAN, which have dominated Mexico since. During much of this year's presidential run critics focused on whether AMLO's brand of populism made him an Hugo Chávez, a Lula, or a Donald Trump. The 65-year-old firebrand, as he is often described, has a long and contradictory track record, notes Foreign Policy. Since winning the election, non-binding citizen consultations have pushed controversial plans, such as canceling a a $13-billion dollar airport project and pushing $8 billion dollar projects for a new oil refinery and railway project. 

The referendum system in theory furthers democratic participation, but the design and participation has been challenged. Additionally AMLO's majority in both chambers of congress will allow him to proceed with fewer checks to his agenda, said political scientist Jennifer Piscopo in an interview with Bloomberg. His disregard for constitutional restrictions has many Mexican experts concerned about how he will use his executive power once in office, writes Luis Gómez Romero in the Conversation. In a New York Times Español op-ed Diego Fonseca calls the referendums exercises in empty democractism. 

The gathering masses of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border will be one of AMLO's most significant initial challenges. (See last Friday's briefs.) On Saturday he signed an agreement with El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to create a development plan for Central America, focusing on job generation to lessen poverty. In his inaugural speech, AMLO also called on the U.S. to support regional development as a way of discouraging migration, notes the Wall Street Journal.

In terms of international relations, namely with the U.S. AMLO must conduct damage control in a Trump world, but he is poorly equipped for the challenge argues Jorge Castañeda in a New York Times op-ed. Migrants will form a central part of this challenge, and concern for their rights might need to be balanced against the need for Mexican trade with the U.S. (See USMCA below.)

Yesterday AMLO ratified his proposal to create a new national guard for internal security, a plan that has angered those who supported his campaign promise to demilitarize Mexico's security policy, reports Reuters. "The people of Mexico need their armed forces to address this grave problem of insecurity and violence right now," said López Obrador in a speech at a military base, flanked by generals. (See Nov. 21's post and last Thursday's briefs.) The heads of the army and the navy promised to respect human rights in the implementation of the new plan, reports Animal Político.

In another reversal, last week he seemed to indicate plans to amnesty corrupt officials.

AMLO hasn't found a buyer yet for the Mexican presidential jet, but in the meantime he's sending the customized $200 million Boeing 787 Dreamliner to a California facility, reports Bloomberg. Animal Político has pictures if you're a potential buyer. (See July 4's post and Sept. 24's briefs.)

Another promise by AMLO to keep it real involves living in a small home rather than the presidential palace, which he made into a museum and opened to the public on Saturday. (Washington Post and Wall Street Journal)

In the region Mexico has defied right-wing trends and has the potential to become a leftist beacon, writes Elena Poniatowska in a New York Times Español op-ed.

Check out Animal Político's guide to the new cabinet.

More from Mexico

• Alejandro Márquez Jiménez was killed, the ninth journalist murdered in Mexico this year. (Animal Político)

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USMCA

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely as NAFTA, which it will replace. To what extent it should be considered a revision of the 24-year-old free trade pact versus a radical new accord is a matter of dispute. Nonetheless, the three countries' leaders signed the new agreement in Buenos Aires on Friday. 

Though the appearance was meant to smooth over tensions that arose between the three countries in the agreement's negotiation phase, the differences remained apparent. Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau the accord as the “new North American Free Trade Agreement” and criticized U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs.

USMCA must now be ratified by each country's lawmakers, which could be tricky in the U.S.'s new Democrat dominated House of Representatives. Democrats have voiced concern over labor and environmental issues in the new agreement.

The deal has angered both pro-trade lawmakers who say it has too many limitations, and skeptics who say it does not do enough to protect U.S. interests.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he will notify Congress of a formal termination of NAFTA within six months, leaving lawmakers with a choice of ratifying the USMCA or returning to pre-1994 trade rules. 

(Guardian, Reuters, New York Times, and New York Times again)

News Briefs

Honduras

• Seven men were found guilty of murdering environmentalist Berta Cáceres in 2016, but the trial has left many relevant questions unanswered, according to the Guardian. (See Friday's post.) And in the meantime, attacks against land defenders in Honduras continue unabated: last week, just before the trial ended, Reynaldo Reyes Moreno, a community leader battling against an internationally financed solar project in southern Honduras was killed.

• Though it's only partial justice, the case does serve as a warning for potential attacks against land defenders, writes the Guardian's Jonathan Watts.

Diplomacy

• The U.S. considers its "relationship with South America, Central America, Mexico to be central to American success," said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Voice of America)

• But China won the G-20 optics game for influence in Latin America, according to McClatchy.

Migration

• The U.S. approach to stopping immigrants at the border is a failure, write Roberta Jacobson and Dan Restrepo in a New York Times op-ed arguing for "radically increasing the United States’ capacity to adjudicate asylum claims."

• The line for an asylum appointment with U.S. authorities at the San Ysidro border crossing is a handwritten list operated by migrant delegates themselves, reports the New York Times. (See Friday's briefs.) It's probably not very surprising that with over 7,000 people waiting for appointments, "el cuaderno" where they are listed has become a source of tension, reports the Wall Street Journal.

• The Washington Post profiles a few mothers trying to slip through the border fence with their toddlers. 

Venezuela

• Venezuelan opposition leaders are asking the Bank of England to keep 14 tons of Venezuelan bullion in Britain, arguing that the Venezuelan government will steal or squander it otherwise. (Miami Herald)

Cuba

• Tired of calling the mysterious ailments afflicting certain diplomats posted to Cuba a potential "sonic attack"? Alternatives include the Havana syndrome and "the thing," reports the Washington Post. (See Friday's briefs.)

Brazil

• Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro's recipe for a national homicide epidemic is making it easier for "good guys" to have guns to defend themselves with. Experts are concerned that the plan won't work, and will likely make things worst, reports the New York Times.

• Isolated communities, which mostly inhabit Amazon areas of Peru and Brazil, are unlikely to remain uncontacted for long, reports the New York Times.

Jamaica

• Unesco’s added reggae to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, but Jamaica's rebel music doesn't need the establishment recognition, argues Dotun Adebayo in the Guardian. (See Friday's briefs.)

Avocado Toast

• A British cafe banned avocados from its menu, citing, among other reasons, reports of Mexican drug cartels’ involvement in exports. (Daily Beast)

Populism

• The p-word is hardly limited to Latin American politics (though we're historically really good at it). A Guardian briefing analyzes populism, which can be boiled down to a vision of the Wthe pure people" versus "the corrupt elite."

Did I miss something, get something wrong, or do you have a different take? Let me know ...

Latin America Daily Briefing