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Meet Mexico's Fake President

López Obrador never conceded after contested 2006 election

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 12, 2009 12:38 PM CST
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(Newser) – Andrés Manuel López Obrador narrowly lost Mexico’s 2006 presidential election to Felipe Calderón, a result he attributed to fraud. In what seemed at the time like a show of defiance, held a mock inauguration. But Obrador was serious: To this day, he calls himself the “Legitimate President” leading the “Legitimate Government”—complete with unpaid cabinet members who meet every two weeks—and has spent the last three years touring the country ceaselessly to rally the people and criticize Mexico’s other president.

The Legitimate Government goes through all the motions: It proposes laws, holds elections, and even issues ID cards that it says are carried by about 2.8 million Mexicans. But despite his utter seriousness, the Legitimate Government is “a strategy to raise his political profile," one journalist tells the Wall Street Journal—though his popularity has dropped by half since the 2006 election.

Mexico's former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leads a rally in Mexico City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009.
Mexico's former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador leads a rally in Mexico City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009.   (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
A supporter of Mexico's former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador holds a poster with his image during a rally led by Obrador in Mexico City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009.
A supporter of Mexico's former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador holds a poster with his image during a rally led by Obrador in Mexico City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009.   (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is greeted by supporters as he arrives with fellow party member Alejandro Encinas, at the National Congress in Mexico City, Oct. 28, 2008.
Former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, is greeted by supporters as he arrives with fellow party member Alejandro Encinas, at the National Congress in Mexico City, Oct. 28, 2008.   (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
Mexico's former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters during a rally in Mexico City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009.
Mexico's former presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets supporters during a rally in Mexico City, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009.   (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 17 comments
schmidtkoff
Nov 13, 2009 12:26 PM CST
@cat - have you read any of the information out there concerning the zapatista movement? the elzn burst on the scene on the day nafta was signed. the zapatistas were fighting for the rights of indigenous peoples throughout the state of chiapas. nafta threatened the quality of life and standard of living of these indigenous groups. the war was on mexico and the government’s treatment of these groups. because of nafta, the govt. in mexico removed from the constitution an article which would have given land reparations to these and other indigeous groups throughout mexico. In addition to american support groups for the zapatista movement there is international support as well. I don’t know where you got your info from. marcos was born in mexico is exican and not american and didn’t kill any americans.
thejoint00
Nov 13, 2009 5:44 AM CST
sounds like the self proclaimed leader of the conservitive party. if rush limbaugh were mexican his name would be López Obrador
RobN
Nov 13, 2009 4:44 AM CST
Once again, over in the NY23 thread, Dems screaming about Bush - Gore again. Stop cyring, minions, it's over, time to move on.

 
Mexico • Felipe Calderon • government • Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador

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