乐鱼体育

Please see below for the video with English translation. Translation was provided by Jill Clark and Nancy Cox.

Never before has a Mexican presidential contender received as much international attention as former head of government of Mexico City and three-time candidate, Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador. With a campaign focused on criticisms of corruption and "neoliberal" policies under the previous three governments, L贸pez Obrador and his National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) party represent the Mexican left's best shot at winning the presidency in recent history. He currently leads the polls in what is sure to be a close race between numerous candidates, to be decided in a single round in July 2018. 

The Woodrow 乐鱼 体育's Mexico Institute and the Inter-American Dialogue were pleased to welcome L贸pez Obrador for an open and frank discussion of his policy proposals and his view on domestic and foreign challenges facing Mexico - including a complicated relationship with Washington.

Key Quotes
 

On the upcoming election:
 

鈥�Our people do not want any foreign government to meddle in the affairs that are the exclusive business of the Mexican people.鈥� 

鈥淣uestro pueblo no quiere que se involucre ning煤n gobierno extranjero en asuntos que solo nos corresponde a los Mexicanos.鈥�

鈥淧olitics was invented to avoid confrontations. We have to engage in politics and engage in dialogue.鈥�

鈥淟a pol铆tica se invent贸 para evitar la confrontaci贸n. Hay que hacer pol铆tica y hay que dialogar y se puede llegar a un acuerdo.鈥�

On corruption:

"It is not a matter of laws but rather, political will."

鈥淨ue no es asunto de leyes, sino de voluntad pol铆tica.鈥�

鈥淚f the President is honest, then the governors will have to be honest, so it [trickles] down to the last civil servant. We are going to clear corruption out of government from top to bottom 鈥� just like sweeping the stairs."

鈥淪i el presidente es honesto, los gobernadores tendr谩n que ser honestos, y as铆 hasta el 煤ltimo servidor p煤blico. Vamos a limpiar el gobierno de corrupci贸n de arriba para abajo, como se barren las escaleras.鈥� 

鈥�Honesty should be a way of life and a way of governance.鈥�

Que la honestidad sea forma de vida y forma de gobierno."

On the economic future of Mexico:

鈥淲e are going to produce what we eat. We will no longer buy from outside the country.鈥�

"Vamos a producir en M茅xico lo que consumimos. Ya no compr谩ramos en el extranjero lo que consumimos."

鈥淲ith the involvement of the public sector, private sector, and civil society, we will be planting one million hectares of timberland in the country [and] we will be promoting cattle ranching, fishing, industrial development, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. We will build a new passenger train service from the northern border and a high speed train along the Maya route: Tulum, Calakmul, Palenque.鈥�

"Con la participaci贸n de los tres sectores: el p煤blico, el privado y el social. Vamos a sembrar un mill贸n de hect谩reas de 谩rboles maderables y frutales en el sursureste del pa铆s. Se promover谩 la agricultura, la ganader铆a y la pesca, habr谩 una pol铆tica de fomento industrial y de apoyo a peque帽as y medianas empresas. Se va construir la nueva v铆a de ferro carril de pasajeros hacia la frontera norte y el tren r谩pido de la ruta maya鈥擟anc煤n, Tulum, Calakmul, Palenque."

鈥淭hroughout Mexico, there will be internet service.鈥�

"En todo el territorio nacional, habr谩 se帽al de internet."
 

On education:

鈥淓ducation is not a privilege 鈥� it is a right.鈥�

"La educaci贸n no es un privilegio, es un derecho del pueblo, de los ciudadanos". 

鈥淚鈥檓 not against private education. If you can afford private education, that is your right, but the state has the obligation to provide quality and free public education at all levels.鈥�

"Yo no estoy en contra de la educaci贸n privada. El que tiene para pagar una escuela privada lo puede hacer. Est谩 en su derecho. Pero el estado est谩 obligado garantizar la educaci贸n p煤blica, gratuita, de calidad, en todo los niveles escolares.鈥� 

On relations with the United States:

鈥淲e are not going to fight with the U.S government. What we will do is demand our sovereignty 鈥� sovereignty with respect. We will also defend the right of Mexicans to earn a living in any place in the world through honest work. This is something that President Wilson and Roosevelt made part of foreign policy. The two of them defended the right to work, human beings鈥� right to work and to universal fraternity.鈥� 

"No nos vamos a pelear con el gobierno de Estados Unidos. Haremos valer nuestra soberan铆a con respeto. En primer t茅rmino defenderemos, eso s铆,  sin condicionamiento, el derecho de nuestros connacionales a ganarse la vida en cualquier lugar del mundo con su trabajo honrado. Esto lo convierto en pol铆tica de exterior el Presidente Wilson y el Presidente Roosevelt鈥� los dos 鈥� defendieron el derecho al trabajo de los seres humanos, derecho a la fraternidad universal.鈥� 

鈥淭he 50 Mexican consulates in the U.S., in a short period of time, will fully take on the defense of Mexicans and migrants in the U.S. In practical terms, these consulates will become true centers for the defense of migrants.鈥�

"En poco tiempo, los 50 consulados de M茅xico en los Estados Unidos, se ocuparan por completo de la defensa de nuestros paisanos, y de los migrantes. Para efectos pr谩cticos, se convertir谩n los consulados en aut茅nticas procuradur铆as para la defensa de migrantes.鈥�

On energy reform:

"I do not agree that a lot of investment has come to Mexico, due to the structural reforms and in particular due to the energy reform. That is part of their publicity that millions upon millions of dollars, nor is it completely true, that those investments are responsible for the discovery of new oil deposits.  That is simply the opinion of those who are defending the energy reform. But that reality is different. Such investment has come, and production is falling off."

"Bueno, yo difiero en que haya llegado mucha inversi贸n a M茅xico por las reformas estructurales, en particular por la reforma energ茅tica. Eso es parte de la publicidad, miles de millones de d贸lares e incluso tampoco es de todo el cierto que por esas inversiones se descubren nuevos yacimientos de petr贸leo. Esa es la opini贸n de quienes defienden las reformas. La realidad es otra. No hay esa inversi贸n y se est谩 cayendo la producci贸n."

"We are going to modernize the six refineries. We have already gone through a reconfiguration and modernization process in Minatitl谩n, Cadereyta, and Ciudad Madero refineries. This has been done with an investment along the order of 800 million dollars, but thanks to corruption those refineiries are still there and they dont have capacity to produce gasoline. 

鈥淰amos a modernizar las seis refiner铆as. Ya se ha hecho en tres, se ha llevado a cabo un proceso de reconfiguraci贸n, de modernizaci贸n, en Minatitl谩n, en Cadereyta, y la refiner铆a en ciudad madero. Tres de las seis. Fue una inversi贸n en reconfigurar de ocho mil millones de d贸lares. Pero por la corrupci贸n, siguen las refiner铆as sin capacidad de producir gasolina.鈥�

鈥淥ur plan is to rehabilitate and modernize 63 different hydroelectric plants in the country. None of these are operating at full capacity.鈥� 

鈥淓l plan nuestro es rehabilitar y modernizar las sesenta y tres hidroel茅ctricas que tiene el pa铆s que no est谩n operando a toda su capacidad.鈥�

On DACA:

鈥淚 do not agree and I say so, very respectfully. I have no interest in getting involved. I believe opportunities must be given to youth. We have to encourage and promote talent. Promote it through the development of science and technology. Knowledge. Not close the borders. I am sure in the U.S there is truly a balance. A counter weight amongst the branches of government. I feel very confident that the U.S Congress will make the right decision about this DACA decision.鈥�

鈥淣o estoy de acuerdo, y lo digo respetuosamente sin 谩nimo de parecer injerencista. Creo que hay que dar oportunidades a los j贸venes y fomentar el talento [especialmente] todo lo que tenga que ver con el desarrollo de la ciencia y tecnolog铆a. Del conocimiento. No cerrar las fronteras. Yo estoy seguro porque en EE.UU. entre otras cosas admirables existe un verdadero equilibrio, un contra peso en poderes [pol铆ticos]. Estoy seguro [de] que el Congreso va a rectificar sobre este planteamiento. El Congreso va a corregir [este planteamiento].鈥� 

鈥淚 do hope the DACA decision is amended and resolved."

鈥淵o espero que se modifique esa propuesta y se resuelva.鈥�

鈥淚f the U.S Congress decides to support the closing of the doors to innovators鈥� very soon Mexico鈥檚 borders will open to all the young people who want to move forward in science and technology.

鈥淪i el Congreso decide que apoya el cerrar las puertas a los creadores, pronto, muy pronto, se van a abrir las puertas de M茅xico. A todos los j贸venes que quieran desarrollarse en ciencia, en tecnolog铆a, [y] en conocimiento.鈥� 

鈥淭he doors of Mexico are open!鈥�

"隆En M茅xico, las puertas estan abiertas!"

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This is the second event in a series related to the Mexico Institute's coverage of the 2018 Mexican elections, featuring contenders and presidential candidates. For more on the Mexico Institute's election coverage, visit our 2018 Mexico Elections Guide.

 This event was conducted in Spanish. Simultaneous Interpretation equipment was provided.

Organized by the 乐鱼 体育鈥檚 Mexico Institute, the Inter-American Dialogue & TCMA, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center