The landslide winner of Mexico’s presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said on Monday that he will aim to keep Mexico in the NAFTA trade pact and seek a frank dialogue and friendly ties with the United States.
The first leftist president elected in Mexico’s modern history said in his first post-election interview after Sunday’s vote that he will also stick with the pick for finance minister he named during the campaign.
Obrador, the first leftist president since the end of one-party rule in 2000, won between 53% and 53.8% of votes, according to a quick count by the electoral authority, more than double the total for his nearest rival.
That would be the biggest share of the vote since the early 1980s, and would give Lopez Obrador a strong platform both to address Mexico’s internal problems and face external challenges like the threat of a trade war with the United States.
