A rather surreal event on the campaign trail: AMLO's big manifest for his campaign is his Alternative Project for the Nation, which essentially functions as his campaign program though it is very broad and vague and essentially express desired goals rather than means how to achieve it. In any case, it is a much-touted program - it was launched in 2004, then updated and presented again just last year in a huge gathering at the National Auditorium. This was his personal manifest - it has nothing to do with the PRD and the left's own campaign platform, which is a considerably more detailed and concrete document.
Then this happens: AMLO was meeting with representatives from COPARMEX, or the powerful Mexican employers organization, in order to smooth things out (he's been meeting with business leaders at least since 2010, finally following the advice of the PRD, which asked him to do so in 2005). One of the businessmen complained against some of the criticism directed at them in the manifest.
AMLO's response: He said he didn't really write it, only the introduction (!). That is, he disowns the project he has been touting for the last seven years, saying someone else wrote it.
1) What does he really stand for, then?
2) What will his North Korea-praising "radical" allies of the Workers Party respond to this kowtowing to the business sectors?
3) If he didn´t write it, who did??
ReplyDeleteNot an AMLO supporter, but I think he's doing what he must, from keeping his coalition of PRD'istas united to reaching out beyond his base. To reach out, he must distance himself from such dramatic steps as nationalizations as he has finally begun to do. I think his distancing himself from less popular policies, though controversial within the PRD and specific issue-voters, is the strategically correct thing to do as his base will still find him their best option and they are likely still very motivated to vote for him. None of this analysis is to further a point of view, he can do as he likes, but I believe this rings true. And if he does decently, democracy in Mexico benefits. http://mexicanpoliticsandeconomics.wordpress.com
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