Friday, January 23, 2026

What should AMLO’s legacy be? A perspective from our CEO

I first attempted to weigh in on how to think about AMLO’s presidency over two years ago. Since he was first elected, I have been constantly asked by foreigners how I feel about his presidency and what I think about him. They tend to hear one of two extremes from their Mexican friends — that he was the “best president ever” or an “absolute disaster” — and they are not sure which version to believe.

With that being said, in the newest version of MND’s “Confidently Wrong” podcast, we tackle that very question: What should AMLO’s legacy be? And was he a net good or bad for the country?

It’s important to remember that the “confidently wrong” predictions leading up to his election were off the charts. The idea that Mexico would “become the next Venezuela,” that the Mexican peso would crash, that foreign direct investment was going to disappear or that Mexico would become a “communist country” were just a few of the predictions by many so-called experts.

Obviously, none of those things happened. So how can we analyze his presidency? Clearly AMLO triggers strong emotions in both directions, but what do the facts and data tell us?

To find out, check out the latest episode of MND’s “Confidently Wrong about AMLO” on our YouTube channel Mexico News Daily TV, below, or on Spotify.

Confidently wrong about AMLO - Episode 5

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

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