Analysis of the "fourth transformation" government’s policies in Mexico in the context of Latin American progressivism.

Abstract

Andrés Manuel López Obrador generated great expectations prior to his arrival to power in 2018, having participated in the elections of 2012 and 2006, becoming a fierce critic of the governments in turn during those years. He finally got overwhelming support in the electoral contest in which he won the victory. The "fourth transformation", as his government has named itself, was considered at the international level as a resurgence of Latin American progressive governments and stated the end of neoliberalism in Mexico, putting social justice, the fight against inequality, and corruption as the standards of their public policies. Five years after coming to power, this article presents an analysis of the performance of government decisions in terms of economy, foreign policy and social development. It’s introduced by a brief account of the neoliberal policies prior to his government, then an approximation to the definition of Latin American progressivism is presented, followed by an analysis of foreign policy, economics, and social development policy. It is observed that far from representing a turnaround of neoliberal policies, the government of the "fourth transformation" has aligned itself with the requirements of the US. and has not affected the interests of Mexican elites, so the fight against inequality has been addressed only through the redistribution of government spending without generating a transcendental impact on Mexico’s social development.