Former Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador directly accused the United States on Wednesday of employing what he called interventionist and unscrupulous tactics aimed at strengthening Mexico’s right-wing opposition and eroding the influence of his leftist political movement.
In a lengthy, five-page letter published on the social media platform X, López Obrador said the United States had moved to undermine the ruling Morena party, which he founded, and to use the pretexts of migration control and combating narco-terrorism to justify such actions. He framed the effort as targeted at weakening his political fold rather than solely addressing security issues.
Although López Obrador no longer holds office after leaving the presidency in 2024, he remains one of Mexico’s most popular political figures and retains significant sway. His intervention on Wednesday amounted to a forceful public show of support for President Claudia Sheinbaum, whom he hailed in the letter as the "best president Mexico has had in our time." The praise underscored Sheinbaum’s position as López Obrador’s political protégé.
The letter also contained a pointed critique of U.S. President Donald Trump. López Obrador wrote that the Trump he encountered during his initial term was cooperative, pragmatic and open to dialogue, but said the current Trump was different. He attributed that change to what he called "false friends and advisers, both internal and external, who have led him into vile and sinister adventures." He closed that section of the letter with the line, "For the good of all, may the other Trump return."
Mexico and the United States have experienced a period of cooperation over the past year, albeit with occasional strains. More recently, President Sheinbaum has adopted sharper rhetoric, increasing public calls to defend national sovereignty. That shift in tone came as relations were tested by a high-profile legal development in the United States.
In April, the U.S. Justice Department filed an indictment charging 10 Mexican officials with alleged ties to drug trafficking. That indictment has become a particular sore point in the bilateral relationship, according to López Obrador’s remarks, and has contributed to the recent deterioration in ties between the two governments.
Mexican and U.S. officials were not immediately available for comment on López Obrador’s public statements. The former president’s remarks, though made without official authority, are significant because of his enduring political influence and the way they publicly align him with the current government in Mexico.
Summary of key developments
- López Obrador accused U.S. actors of interventionist measures intended to bolster Mexico’s right-wing opposition and weaken his Morena movement.
- He praised President Claudia Sheinbaum as the best president in their era and showed strong public support for her leadership.
- He criticized President Trump’s evolution since his first term and pointed to advisers he described as "false friends and advisers" for that change, and he referenced the April U.S. indictment of 10 Mexican officials as a bilateral flashpoint.