From the speech in the Zócalo given by Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz Canel in 2021 to the parade of Russian troops during the national holidays in 2023, the foreign policy of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been full of setbacks, errors and ideological resentments.
Protection and asylum for Evo Morales. In 2019, the President of Mexico opened the doors to Evo Morales, who fled Bolivia after committing electoral fraud and trying to be re-elected in open violation of the Constitution of that country.
In 2022, López Obrador defended the coup leader Pedro Castillo in Peru and disavowed the Presidency of Dilma Boluarte. For months, Mexico sabotaged the Pacific Alliance due to its ideological tantrum with Peru. Trade, investments and prosperity lost relevance in the face of the diplomacy of resentment.
The failed attempt to boycott the Summit of the Americas. The president of Mexico stopped meeting with his main trading partner only because he did not invite the dictatorships of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Fortunately, his attempt at a boycott failed. The summit was a resounding success.
An unnecessary conflict with Ecuador. The Mexican president started the confrontation by criticizing Ecuador’s electoral process and later offering asylum to a fugitive from justice, tried and convicted by the authorities of the Quito government.
AMLO called for a CELAC session to condemn Ecuador, but failed. Of the 33 member states, only 9 presidents participated. As if this were not enough, the International Court of Justice said no to his request for precautionary measures against Ecuador. “Cry to the crybaby” said President Daniel Noboa.
AMLO the ideological fighter. The president of Mexico has criticized, interfered and clashed with heads of state of Colombia, Spain, Austria, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and of course the United States.
Mexico and his defense of dictators. López Obrador has defended and financed the Cuban dictatorship, has supported the regime of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and has refused to condemn the crimes against humanity of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.
AMLO’s defeats at the OAS, the IDB and the PAHO
In 2020, the President of Mexico tried to prevent the re-election of Luis Almagro, promoting a leftist candidate who in the end only managed to obtain 13 of the 34 votes in the OAS. AMLO blamed his defeat on the empire, ideology and the Covid19 pandemic.
The President of Mexico also tried to lead the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). He failed. His candidate had no support or roots. The Brazilian candidate easily achieved a crushing victory supported by his experience and the solid, consistent and de-ideologized diplomacy of Itamaraty.
Finally, and the most shameful of the 3 defeats was the Inter-American Development Bank. Alicia Bárcena and then Gerardo Esquivel, showed an unserious and incapable foreign ministry. AMLO threw a tantrum and ended up saying that it was all the fault of the empire and conservatism.
Mexico is a big country. Historically, Mexico has had a moderate influence on foreign policy in Latin America and the world. Now it is a bad joke. The new president of Mexico will have the challenge of recovering the lost leadership and honoring the prestigious and professional foreign policy of the Aztec country. We will see.
Source: eleconomista
