Mexico: Neoliberalism, Popular Grievances, and the Rise of Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador

This presentation seeks to analyze the significance of the electoral victory of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) in Mexico's 2018 presidential elections and his political discourse: a return to the roots of the Mexican Revolution, a rejection of the old political system, and a rejection of neoliberalism. In order to understated AMLO’s discourse, we need to revisit the literature that has been written on the story that AMLO provides. This analysis will predominantly be done by looking at the literature review on Mexican historical moments, from the Porfiriato to the present day, and contrasting them to those given in AMLO’s narrative. By looking into Mexican history and contemporary news, this thesis will also analyze the individual and societal conditions that allowed for AMLO to win the presidential election. For example, the damaging consequences of neoliberalism on the fabric of the Mexican society and their grievances will be examined as societal conditions for political victory. Furthermore, an organizing empirical survey of recent protests, most of which demand answers to the structural wounds caused by neoliberal policies in addition to the global backlash against neoliberalism and globalization, will be analyzed.