Andrés Manuel López Obrador

The main scandals of his presidency — Segalmex, affairs involving associates, Pegasus and funding allegations — have not, according to the sources verified, resulted in a personal criminal conviction of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

State of the evidence

Documented

The "abrazos, no balazos" strategy sought to address the social causes of crime rather than repeat a direct war against the cartels. It was strongly criticised amid continuing homicides, extortion and the territorial power of organised crime.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Segalmex, an agency established under the AMLO government, was affected by a major scandal involving embezzlement, irregular investments and fraudulent contracts worth several billion pesos.

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Press investigations accused friends or associates of Andrés López Beltrán of benefiting from substantial public contracts under his father's administration.

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

Tren Maya faced legal challenges from communities and environmental organisations, particularly over deforestation and insufficient prior assessments. A judge indefinitely suspended construction work in 2022.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

The Olmeca refinery at Dos Bocas, AMLO's flagship energy self-sufficiency project, saw its costs rise towards 16–17 billion dollars and suffered repeated delays despite its political inauguration in 2022.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

AMLO regularly accused critical journalists and media outlets of being corrupt, conservative or mercenary. Article 19 documented thousands of attacks against the press during his six-year term, an increase compared with the previous administration.

State of the evidence

Documented

The Electoral Tribunal's Sala Especializada repeatedly ruled that AMLO had violated impartiality, neutrality and electoral fairness through his morning press conferences, particularly by supporting his own political preference and improperly using public resources.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

During a press conference, AMLO displayed and read aloud the telephone number of Natalie Kitroeff, the New York Times Mexico bureau chief, after she had requested a response to a journalistic investigation.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

Documents and testimony revealed in 2024 showed that a DEA investigation had examined allegations that traffickers had paid approximately 2 million dollars to operatives in AMLO's 2006 campaign.

AMLO championed a constitutional reform through to its adoption that profoundly transformed the judiciary, introducing popular elections for a large proportion of judges and judicial officers.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

In his February 2024 constitutional reform package, AMLO proposed abolishing several autonomous bodies, including the INAI, Cofece and energy and telecommunications regulators. Congress approved the reform after he left office.

State of the evidence

Documented

Mexico granted asylum to former Ecuadorian vice-president Jorge Glas, who had been convicted of corruption and faced new allegations. Ecuador subsequently stormed the Mexican embassy to arrest him, triggering a breakdown in diplomatic relations.

State of the evidence

Documented

The AMLO government transferred operational and administrative control of the National Guard to the Ministry of Defence by law. In April 2023, the Supreme Court invalidated the transfer because the Constitution provided for a civilian force.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

AMLO promoted a set of reforms reducing the electoral authority's structures and capabilities. In May and then June 2023, the Supreme Court invalidated both major parts of "Plan B" because of serious violations of the legislative process.

Attribution

Political responsibility

Forensic analyses detected Pegasus on the phones of journalists, human rights defenders and even members of the team investigating military abuses, although AMLO had promised to abandon political surveillance practices.

State of the evidence

Disputed

Attribution

Personally implicated

AMLO had promised to resolve the disappearance of the 43 Ayotzinapa students. The international group of experts concluded in 2023 that the armed forces had concealed documents and that security forces had been complicit in the disappearance, before ending its mission.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

A video showed AMLO getting out of his vehicle to personally greet María Consuelo Loera, mother of drug trafficker Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, in Sinaloa.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

At the start of the pandemic, AMLO continued holding events, embracing supporters and displaying religious images that he described as "protective shields", while experts called for stricter measures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Videos showed Pío López Obrador receiving envelopes of money from David León in 2015, presented as contributions to Morena's political activities in Chiapas.

State of the evidence

Documented

Role of the person profiled

Protagonist not prosecuted

The government closed or restricted several major pipelines to combat fuel theft, resulting in shortages, long queues and industrial concerns in several states.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Mexican forces briefly captured Ovidio Guzmán, son of El Chapo, before releasing him as cartel gunmen launched shootings and threatened military personnel and civilians in Culiacán.

State of the evidence

Documented

Before even taking office, AMLO decided to cancel Mexico City's new airport at Texcoco, an approximately 13-billion-dollar project already partly constructed, following a consultation organised by his supporters.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Following another presidential defeat, AMLO accused the PRI of buying millions of votes, particularly through Monex and Soriana cards, and requested annulment of the election.

After narrowly losing to Felipe Calderón, López Obrador claimed that the election had been fraudulent and demanded a full recount. The Electoral Tribunal ordered only a partial recount and subsequently upheld the result.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Personally implicated

AMLO and his supporters maintained a protest encampment in central Mexico City for 47 days, then proclaimed him "legitimate president" with a parallel cabinet after Felipe Calderón's victory was certified.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

The Chamber of Deputies removed López Obrador's immunity in April 2005 so that he could be prosecuted for allegedly failing to comply with a court order concerning a construction project. The Fiscalía ultimately decided not to pursue criminal proceedings.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

While serving as head of Mexico City's government, López Obrador was politically weakened by videos showing, in particular, his former personal secretary René Bejarano receiving sums of money from businessman Carlos Ahumada, while his finance secretary Gustavo Ponce was also implicated in a separate scandal.

State of the evidence

Documented