Let’s be honest, though. This is about the scope of their common goals. It is in the US interest for Mexico to grow faster and strengthen its democratic institutions. Mr López Obrador does not care about development and is trying to overthrow independent institutions because they stand in the way of his ability to dictate political economy. Those who disagree with him are characterized as greedy and corrupt. Exhibit A is the president’s recent threat to imprison his political opponents and oust investors who do not agree with his energy agenda. This Putin-type thug is unlikely to secure convictions, but criminal charges filed with the attorney general could lead to years of investigation, harassment and even pre-trial detention. Last week, Mr López Obrador announced a constitutional reform initiative to end the independence of the country’s federal body, which conducts all elections, and the court that resolves electoral disputes. The initiative will also make all the seats in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Mexican Congress, elected by proportional representation, a change that would authorize Morena’s party. The initiative is not expected to garner the required two-thirds majority in Congress to pass. But that’s not important for AMLO, which polls say still has better acceptance rates than 50%. He tells his supporters that Mexico’s representative democracy is ruled by a “power mafia” that denies them their rights. According to him, only he can protect their interests. If this electoral reform fails, it strengthens his argument. The left calls what AMLO wants “participatory democracy”, but instead is a dangerous flirtation with mob domination. When he took office in 2018, Mr. López Obrador promised to offer an irreversible “fourth transformation” of Mexico, an ambiguous utopian vision that seems to require the concentration of political power and the state as a dominant player in the economy. With just two years and seven months left in his six-year term, his time is running out. The April 17 defeat in Congress of constitutional reforms to reverse the opening of Mexico’s energy markets in 2014 is a major setback for AMLO. These reforms were aimed at restoring the monopoly power of the state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, and the state Federal Electricity Commission, or CFE. Mexicans do not seem to see a future in inefficient and corrupt state energy monopolies. The reforms were never supported by the necessary qualified majorities in Congress. Even Morena knew they were far away, so she tried to reduce the number of opposition lawmakers who would show up to vote by scheduling the meeting during Holy Week and then moving it abruptly to Easter Sunday. Morena’s desperate supporters even tried to stir up a fuss to prevent opposition lawmakers from entering the hall naturally. AMLO and Morena are furious about the defeat. The day after the vote, the president accused those in Congress of opposing the reforms for treason. Members of his party echoed the sentiment, creating “wanted” posters of some congressional dissidents on social media. This is absurd, but it may not go away. One week ago, Morena leader Mario Delgado proposed a “popular consultation” to determine whether the 223 lawmakers who voted against the reform should be tried for treason. The president has turned to an electricity bill passed in Congress to try to enforce his energy agenda. The new law obliges private generators to sell their power to the CFE, which means setting prices as monopoly. Opponents say not so fast. Seven of the 11 judges of the Supreme Court ruled that the electricity law is unconstitutional. Because its overthrow would require an 8-3 majority, it is valid. But with the majority of the court in opposition, lower courts have issued suspensions against him while investors, many of whom are foreigners, are seeking legal redress. Mr López Obrador and Morena are also outraged by this. In an interview in March in La Jornada, Mexico, CFE General Manager Manuel Bartlett said there could be criminal charges against Spanish companies in the electricity sector. Translation: Either renegotiate your contracts or face the legal armageddon. Some analysts expect that investors will eventually prevail, but this is not a great comfort when the route from here to there is through the mud. There is no way to sweeten the fact that the Mexican government, led by Mr López Obrador, is blackmailing. Democrat Joe Biden may want to take that into account. Write to O’[email protected] Magazine Publishing Report: The Best and Worst of the Week by Kyle Peterson, Allysia Finley and Dan Henninger. Images: Getty Images Composite: Mark Kelly Copyright © 2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
