Latin Analysis: The Group that Demands AMLO's Resignation

Medios y Media

Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), has always been a popular politician since the start of his career. For Mexicans, it has always been a matter of loving or hating him; however, during his presidential campaign for the 2018 presidential election, he had gained so many followers, that his rivals lost overwhelmingly to him, and was considered one of the most popularly-elected presidents in all of Mexico’s history.

Nevertheless, after almost two years of AMLO’s presidency, his popularity is indeed not as high as it used to be back in 2018. 

The FRENA Group

The Mexican Anti-AMLO National Front (FRENA) is an organization that began with the purpose of protesting against AMLO’s “bad” administration and seeks to force him to quit his position. At first, only high social classes were a part of this group and (particularly after the coronavirus outbreak) protested honking their cars and flooding the streets with traffic holding their signs from inside their vehicles in several states around the nation.

As of today, the conservative FRENA group has gained many more followers, such that also the middle and low-income citizens have joined the protests. This has been the case because several events as the femicide crisis in Mexico, the devaluation of the Mexican peso, the Dos Bocas refinery and Mayan train controversies, as well as the management of the COVID-19 situation, have considerably increased the Mexican’s dissatisfaction with the current administration and the “positive transformation process” (or “Fourth Transformation”) that AMLO had promised for the nation.

Particularly throughout 2020, health professionals, professors, and workers from the informal economy as well as journalists, academics, and businessmen and women, have joined this organization. Some of the most relevant leaders of this institution are Gilberto Lozano, Pedro Ferriz, Rafael Loret de Mola, Juan Bosco Abascal, among others. The protests have gained so much strength, that earlier this month, the FRENA followers decided to start protesting in Avenida Juárez, one of México City’s busiest streets. Despite the COVID-19 risk of infection (and considering that Mexico is one of the countries which has been most affected by the virus), thousands camped to block all vehicular access within the street. Parallelly, similar protests have been taking place in other states of the Mexican Republic to demand AMLO to resign his position as soon as possible.

As the days have gone by, more protestors have joined the FRENA, who have been continuously moving to Mexico City’s center, aiming to establish themselves in front of the National Palace building. FRENA leaders have declared that they have been invited citizens from all over the country, such that the number of protestors is expected to grow continuously throughout the following months. Additionally, it has been stated by the group that protests are to be intensified despite the lack of social distancing and the risk this has on the people’s health because they consider that having AMLO as president is a bigger risk for the country than exposing themselves to the virus. Also, it has been declared by the organization that the current protest in Mexico City is meant to be maintained until AMLO ceases to be president – even if it is by the year 2024 (when his administration will come to an end).

AMLO’s response

The protests in the Avenida Juarez in Mexico City have been particularly controversial because that is the exact same spot in which AMLO protested when he lost the 2006 and 2012 presidential elections (to Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña, respectively) and had established that the “system was against him” and that his rivals were not up to solving Mexico’s social, economic and political needs. Due to this, the media has been insistent on asking the Mexican president for his opinion on this movement. Months ago, he used to say that the FRENA protests had been planned by opposition groups and parties because these wanted to defame him and wanted him to lose the trust of the people. Nevertheless, as the protests have increased the number of followers and are becoming increasingly relevant, he has recently acknowledged its legitimacy and AMLO has declared to be respectful of the people’s freedom of speech and opinion as long as they keep their pacific ways of protesting. Yet, he constantly remarks that he considers that his plan for the transformation of the country is going “according to plan” and that the FRENA manifestations are somewhat irrelevant.

Contrastingly, though, there has been an important intervention of the National Guard that blocks the protestor's entrance to the Mexico City’s “Zócalo” (city center). Besides, protestors have declared that the policemen and policewomen are usually aggressive towards protestors and that have violently stopped the FRENA followers to install mobile bathrooms, as well as they have constantly intended to dismantle their camping areas.

Moreover, AMLO supporters have also gone to the area to confront the FRENA people with banners to support the Mexican president and chanting phrases as “it’s an honor to be on AMLO’s side”. In spite of this, these counter-protestors seem to be inefficient in weakening the FRENA campaigners.

Truth is, since the start of these protests, several journalists and experts had established that the FRENA movement would in no way be successful and was doomed to disappear rapidly. Despite these forecasts, the organization has been growing stronger and has even been bringing together Mexicans from different backgrounds and ideas, as feminists, anti-abortion people, as well as religious and non-religious associations are coming together, as they all have the common purpose of wanting AMLO to resign to the presidency.

Factually, it is true that to-date, protests have not reached a point in which we could talk about a potential coup d’état. Nevertheless, experts remark that AMLO should not take these lightly either, as their constant gaining of followers could potentially bring significant change to Mexican politics in the years to come.