Mexican President's Pledge To Improve Economy Threatened By Coronavirus Meltdown

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's platform was to bring about positive change and progress in its people especially the poor. But, the current state of Mexico has not worked towards the achievement of that ambition.

According to a report, the Mexican people are starting to raise doubts about the President's ability to implicate progress in the country as recession, business fallouts, and an uncontained pandemic emerges.

Having been elected in July 2018, Lopez Obrador was the top choice of more than 50% of the Mexican voters beating three other presidential candidates in an undeniable win. When he took office in December that year, approval ratings of 80% were registered: proof of just how strongly the Mexican people believed in their new leader.

However, political polarization, increased crime rates, and insurgent activities affecting businesses have not made Lopez Obrador's crusade to fight poverty an easy one.

The appalling effects of the current pandemic have swept the once hopeful sentiments of its people and critics and well-wishers alike are urging Lopez Obrador, 66, to take a more pragmatic approach to contain the economic instability being experienced by the country.

Fernando Turner who is a businessman and supporter of the President expressed his empathy for Lopez Obrador who might inevitably end up "impoverishing more people" despite his true intentions of helping the poor. He estimates that with the current pandemic, Mexico's economy might end up worse when his term finishes in 2024.

With the economy fastly shrinking and taking the toll of the pandemic, the President's platform schemed on distributing wealth fairly amongst its people is unlikely to be saved if he does not improve his tactics.

Reportedly, 12 million people have lost their jobs to the pandemic. The International Monetary Fund has been expressing concerns that all these factors could affect Mexico's economy and that it could contract at least 10.5% before 2020 ends.

His popularity has reached its lowest readings yet, according to polling firm Consulta Mitofsky, and critics have attributed this to his unbecoming response to the coronavirus crisis.

Despite all these, Lopez Obrador still gathers support from his people due to his pro-poor political scheme where he has invested great attention on improving the lives of 60 million Mexicans who live below the poverty line through welfare programs, pensions, and public works.

But, this appears to be ineffective in helping him achieve his pledge of lifting economic growth in the country by 4% every year and decrease crime rates.

In 2019, Mexico has entered an economic downturn with crimes hitting record levels. This year, it plunges deeper into recession.