Mexico may soon elect a leftist president — thanks to Trump

(Photo: Christian Palma AP)

The race for Mexico’s 2018 presidential elections has drawn zero interest in the United States so far, but it should be in the headlines. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s fake claims about Mexico, the country may soon elect its first populist leftist president in recent memory.

The latest polls show that Trump’s Mexico-bashing has had the predictable effect of creating a nationalist backlash in Mexico, which is helping leftist candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador climb steadily in the polls for the July 1, 2018, election.

According to a May 6 poll by BGC Associates and the daily Excelsior, López Obrador — a former Mexico City mayor — is leading the race with 26 percent of voters saying they would cast ballots for him, followed by center-right candidate Margarita Zavala with 21 percent, and ruling party hopeful Miguel Angel Osorio Chong with 19 percent.

But the most interesting part of the poll is a chart with Mexico’s voting trends over the past 12 months. It shows a steady rise by López Obrador and his Morena party, especially after the U.S. elections last November.

To continue reading this article click The Miami Herald