AMLO’s Tour in South America / Marcelo Ebrard

AMLO Visits Colombia and Chile. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that during his visits to Colombia and Chile, relations between these countries and Mexico were strengthened. "The trip went very well. We confirmed once again the affection and respect these countries have for Mexico.”

Last week, the president first visited Colombia, where he proposed changing strategies to deal with drugs and migration. He called on governments to strengthen the countryside and replace drug crops with corn, beans, fruits, among others, to continue creating jobs. Later, López Obrador visited Chile, where he and the Chilean President Gabriel Boric agreed to update the free trade agreement between the two countries, signed in 1999. 

Marcelo Ebrard. When questioned about Marcelo Ebrard's actions against MORENA, López Obrador commented that he respects Ebrard and that the party will remain united regardless of the result. "He is my friend. I care a lot about him. I cannot say more. Our opponents want there to be a rupture in the movement but whatever happens, we are not going to be united."

MORENA's candidate selection was based on the results of the party’s main poll and four additional mirror polls. These showed Claudia Sheinbaum in the lead with 39.4% of the votes, followed by Marcelo Ebrard (25.6%), Gerardo Fernández Noroña (12.2%), Adán Augusto López (10%), Ricardo Monreal (6.5%) and Manuel Velasco (6.3%). 

This week, Ebrard requested the annulment of MORENA's internal poll results, arguing that there were many deficiencies in the process. Ebrard also announced that he will create his own National Political Movement and stressed that his permanence in MORENA will depend on whether the party accepts his request.

The Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train. The President reported that the boarding cost of the Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train will be announced on Sep. 15.

The Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train aims to connect Toluca, the capital city of the State of Mexico, with the western part of Mexico City. The project will consist of two terminals, six stations and 30 trains in rotation, each with five wagons with a capacity for 230,000 passengers per day. The train is expected to reduce travel times by 90 minutes for each round trip. 

Recently, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) announced that the Mexico-Toluca Interurban Train will be ready by the end of 2023, entering its testing phase in early 2024. If the schedule is met, the project would have a construction time of 10 years since it was started in 2014, during the presidential term of Enrique Peña Nieto, when the project was abruptly stopped.