López Obrador’s Legacy / Reforms

Final Morning Conference. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador held his final morning press conference today, declaring he is at peace with his administration. "We need to continue our republican austerity to maintain a clear conscience and serve others. We made progress because we ran an austere, corruption-free government," stated López Obrador. 

He said that Mexico is in a better position than when he took office on Dec.1, 2018. However, the data paints a mixed picture. In terms of security, López Obrador promised to "bring peace" to the country by addressing crime’s root cause: limited opportunities for young people. Yet, as of August 2024, 186,380 intentional homicides had been recorded, a 35.75% increase compared to those during the administration of his predecessor Enrique Peña Nieto. In 2018, 41.9% of Mexicans lived in poverty. 

According to CONEVAL, while poverty rates declined between 2018 and 2022 due to increases in minimum wages, the number of individuals lacking access to healthcare services surged from 20.1 million to 50.4 million. As for corruption, reports from 2019 showed that 15,732 out of every 100,000 people had been affected by corruption. By 2023, that figure had fallen to 13,966.

Guerrero. The president announced that relief activities would continue for those affected in Acapulco, Guerrero. He reported that floodwaters have receded, and the census to deliver aid directly has begun. A hurricane made landfall on the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero at 9:20 pm on Monday as a Category 3 hurricane and was subsequently downgraded to a tropical storm at 3:15 am. The landfall resulted in at least 15 deaths and significant damage along the coast.

National Guard, Indigenous Reform. López Obrador signed the constitutional reforms related to Indigenous peoples and the National Guard. "One aims to guarantee public security, while the other ensures the rights of all communities and Indigenous peoples," stated López Obrador.

Congress approved the national guard reform, which aims to transfer administrative and operational control of the National Guard to SEDENA. This renewed effort follows a 2022 proposal that was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The reform has faced criticism, with opponents accusing the López Obrador administration of militarizing the country.

Congress also unanimously passed a law recognizing the rights of Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities. The proposal aims to establish Mexico as a multi-ethnic nation and grants indigenous peoples and communities formal legal recognition as public entities with their own rights and assets. However, indigenous groups have labeled the reform a setback to their rights.