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As 2021 draws to a close and the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) reaches its halfway point, the president has achieved at least one of his principal objectives: He is the only topic in Mexico. In Trumpian fashion, AMLO has extinguished any hope that anything constructive will be accomplished during his reign, and all subjects now revolve around him. ‘AMLO is a catastrophe, we are doomed!’ ‘AMLO is a saint, we are delivered!’ And on a more mundane level, will AMLO let anyone do business in this country, other than his protected devotees (who are making bank while the going is good)? He has become a political Santa Claus, who knows who’s been naughty (the private sector) and who’s been nice (the military and anyone professing blind fealty to him), and he will continue to stuff the stockings of the nice with gifties like newly-created public enterprises and juicy no-tender contracts, while the coal will keep coming for the naughty. Continue reading Mexico facing three more years of torpor under AMLO
Tag Archives: Mexican economy
Daunting road ahead for Mexico in 2021
Mexico, like most countries, has taken an economic beating this year from the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions on business activities began relatively late here — in April — but were severe for the first three to four months, and since the summer the severity of shutdown has varied across states and municipalities around the country. As the year comes to a close, contagion remains fairly high overall and Mexico City has reverted to red, the highest level on the epidemiological traffic light used to set restrictions on business and mobility. Whatever the color though, a lot of people are catching the COVID, as it’s called here, and hospitals are at or close to capacity in the capital. Continue reading Daunting road ahead for Mexico in 2021
Mexican economy showing flickers of life
Mexico has surpassed 104,000 deaths due to COVID-19, the fourth highest total among world nations, and total accumulated cases exceed one million. The rate of infection remains uneven throughout the country, however five major states including Mexico City are registering an upward trend in the number of cases and are perilously close to returning to the red or highest level on the national epidemiological traffic light system. A return to red would signify closure of all but essential businesses and other strict restrictions on movement and economic activity. At the same time, 16 of Mexico’s 32 states are currently at the yellow level, implying relatively minor restrictions, and one state, Campeche, has returned to green or restriction-free status. Continue reading Mexican economy showing flickers of life