The one that has just ended is a wasted six-year term; it is the story of a power wasted in resentment, ignorance, ineptitude, and corruption.
López Obrador was legitimately elected, like few presidents in recent history. The power the voters gave him was so much that he got drunk on it, and when people get drunk, they do not change, except that their true selves emerge. During his many years on the campaign trail, Andrés Manuel was called everything. People called him crazy, a danger to Mexico, and ignorant.
A true statesman would have swallowed the humiliations and insults and responded with deeds. A serious politician with a genuine desire to serve and not to use power would have governed for all, even his detractors. An intelligent president would have shut the mouths of those who criticized him and tried to lead the country on a modern, democratic, safer, and less violent path. López Obrador could have done so much good with all that power, but he did not want to.
Instead, he chose to prove his critics right. He chose to govern from his ignorance, his complexes, and his resentments. He preferred to govern with an eye to the past, with a style that emulated the PRI of his youth, cowardly attacking citizens and journalists who did not think like him and dared to say so openly from his office.
López Obrador governed, praising mediocrity, extolling superstition, and belittling education and science. He decided to leave the criminals alone, allowing them to run wild. And he finally confirmed it. He was indeed a danger to Mexican democracy. He lied and did not respect the powers. Once in power, he got drunk with it and felt himself the owner of Mexico, of the truth, of morals, and even of history, which he distorted to his liking and convenience.
What he did do very well was propagandize himself. Based on lies and half-truths, he built an image of a hero, of a statesman, of a hero that he is far from being. He used public money and public television channels, as not even the PRI had done recently, to spread his hatred and his false image of a patriot. Unfortunately, his discourse found fertile ground in the ignorance of millions. A movement such as López Obrador’s cannot be explained without the profound ignorance that prevails among the Mexican population.
We can only hope that he really goes to hell. But let’s not be surprised if he is still around. Finally, he is addicted to the spotlight and the microphones. The former president will miss setting the agenda of what is discussed in the country with his endless and unimportant verbiage. He knows the only thing he is good for is deceiving illusions.
For Times Media Mexico / The Yucatan Times
Roberto García
September 2024
Merida, Yucatan.
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Roberto García is a prominent university professor, student trainer, journalist, and columnist born in Mérida, Yucatán. With more than 25 years of experience in academia and journalism, he has dedicated his career to teaching and training new generations of professionals. In addition, he is the author of multiple editorials in which he addresses a variety of topics of public interest, standing out for his deep analysis and his ability to communicate complex ideas in an accessible way. His career has made him an influential figure in both the educational and journalistic fields.
