Mexicans Go to Polls With Leftist on Brink of Historic Victory

[Judi Lynn]

By Nacha Cattan
and Eric Martin
July 1, 2018, 6:00 AM CDT Updated on July 1, 2018, 1:04 PM CDT

Mexicans began casting votes in Sunday’s elections amid signs they’re set to hand the presidency to a left-wing leader for the first time in decades, in a revolt against entrenched corruption, crime and poverty.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador appears headed for a landslide win that could also give him majorities in both houses of Congress — a prospect that’s adding to anxiety in Mexico’s business world and financial markets. Nine governors and almost 3,000 mayors and local legislators will also be chosen.

The biggest election in Mexican history got under way at 8 a.m. local time, though there were delays at some ballot stations. Polls are due to close at 6 p.m. and initial results are expected sometime after 8 p.m. The campaign has been marred by violence, with more than 120 politicians killed, including some 40 candidates. In a midday press conference, Lorenzo Cordova, head of the electoral regulator INE, said the indications were that voting was proceeding peacefully so far.

Lopez Obrador cast his ballot early Sunday in the capital, Mexico City. “Today, people are going to decide if they want more of the same or a real change,” he said.

More:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-01/mexico-heads-to-polls-with-leftist-on-brink-of-historic-victory

[Judi Lynn]

1. Roberta Jacobson, ex-ambassador to Mexico, on what Mexico's election means for the U.S.

By EMILY TILLETT CBS NEWS July 1, 2018, 12:48 PM


Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jacobson says that a victory by leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador -- known as AMLO -- in Mexico's general election could lead to a more positive relationship with the United States, even as President Trump and Mexican officials continue to butt heads over regional issues like trade, drug trafficking and the border wall.

"One of the things that he [Lopez Obrador], both in my discussions with him and many of his conversations and advisers conversations ahead of these elections have emphasized is the relationship with the United States and that it be positive," Jacobson said on "Face the Nation" Sunday. "They're going to work hard on that, which does not mean it's going to be easier than it has been with current Mexican government. I think there a number of issues on which it's going to be difficult and maybe harder."

She added that Lopez Obrador "has been at pains to reassure people that he takes this relationship seriously, that he does not think that it needs to be -- descend into insult, and he has the leftist credentials to stand up politely in a way that I think he's got the credibility to do that."

What's at stake in Sunday's elections is whether or not the U.S. continues to cooperate and work with Mexico as a partner, according to Jacobson, including areas like the economy, immigration and security. She said the most important aspect to consider is "whether that partnership we built over the last 30 years begins to deteriorate."

More:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roberta-jacobson-ex-ambassador-to-mexico-on-what-mexicos-election-means-for-the-u-s/

[Uncle Joe]

2. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread Judi Lynn