Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declares victory in Mexican presidential race

Latin America

MEXICO-ELECTION-RESULTS-LOPEZ OBRADORNewly elected Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (C), running for “Juntos haremos historia” party, cheers his supporters at the Zocalo Square after winning general elections, in Mexico City, on July 1, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / PEDRO PARDO

Mexican leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was declared president-elect on Sunday after winning over 50 percent of the votes, according to data from the country’s electoral body.

CGTN’s Franc Contreras reports.

The results of the election were historic for his left leaning party as they had never before received such a majority. President-elect Lopez Obrador held a celebratory speech at the Hilton Hotel in the Historic Center of Mexico City late on Sunday.

“Friends, I express my respect to those who voted for other candidates and parties and the same manifesto for the three candidates for the presidency of the Republic of the different organizations that today have recognized our triumph, our victory. I call on all Mexicans to reconcile and put aside their personal interests. No matter how legitimate they may be, the best interests, the general interests are the nation’s interests, as Vicente Guerrero [the former president] said in the past, the nation comes first,” he said.

The leftist leader vowed that he would expend an all-out effort to serve his nation and people.

“I will not disappoint you. I will not betray the people. I uphold ideals and principles that I consider the most important in my life. But I also confess that I have a legitimate ambition, I want to go down in history as a good president for Mexico. Thank you very much with all my heart! Hurray Mexico! Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico,” said Obrador.

MEXICO-ELECTION-LOPEZ OBRADOR-SUPPORTERS-RESULTS-CELEBRATION

Supporters of the presidential candidate for the “Juntos haremos historia” coalition, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, celebrate at the Zocalo square in Mexico City, after getting the preliminary results of the general elections on July 2, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / MARIO VAZQUEZ

According to a sample of some 7,700 voting records from the National Electoral Institute (INE), Lopez Obrador obtained between 53 and 53.8 percent of the votes.

Meanwhile, the candidate from the conservative National Action Party (PAN), Ricardo Anaya, only obtained between 22.1 and 22.8 percent of the votes; the candidate of the ruling Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), Jose Antonio Meade, reaped between 15.7 and 16.3 percent of the votes and the independent Jaime Rodriguez Calderon, “El Bronco”, received between 5.3 and 5.5 percent of the votes.

A few minutes before the rally, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto acknowledged the triumph of the leftist leader and said he extended his congratulations and offered to collaborate with him.

Story by Reuters with additional information from CGTN.


Laura Carlsen discusses Obrador’s win in Mexico and its impact

CGTN’s Elaine Reyes spoke with Laura Carlsen, the director of the Americas Program at the Center for International Policy, about Mexico’s presidential outcome