Former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who led the country from 2018 to 2024, has publicly admitted that corruption remains a problem within the government he helped build. In recent remarks, he called on public servants—particularly those affiliated with his political party, Morena (short for “Movimiento Regeneración Nacional,” or National Regeneration Movement)—to resist the temptation to steal public funds.
López Obrador built much of his political career on promises to root out graft and bring greater transparency to Mexican institutions, a pledge that resonated with voters frustrated by decades of entrenched corruption scandals across multiple administrations. His latest comments suggest that, even after six years in power and the continued influence of his successor’s government, dishonest practices have not been fully eliminated.
The admission is notable because it comes from the man who positioned himself as Mexico’s moral authority on clean governance, often invoking the slogan that “to govern is to not steal.” By calling out his own party’s ranks, he appears to be reinforcing that standard publicly, even as he steps back from day-to-day politics.
For more details on this story, read the original report from Reforma.
Source: Regaña AMLO a morenistas: no roben (Reforma).
Image: r.whitlock, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).